


Chemicals Collide

by Barkly



Series: Chemicals Collide [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Awkward Romance, Blow Jobs, Casual Sex, Cunnilingus, Dirty Talk, Double Penetration in Two Holes, Double Vaginal Penetration, Established Relationship, F/M, Face-Sitting, Foursome - F/M/M/M, Insomniac Akaashi Keiji, M/M, Masturbation, Multi, Polyamory, Rimming, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 23:19:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6446245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barkly/pseuds/Barkly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kuroo joins his friends for one intense night, he thinks that will be the end of it.</p><p>He could not have been more wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so dirty.
> 
> *rolls off to take a shower*

“Hey, Kuroo, you’ve had a threesome, right?” Bokuto’s speech was slightly slurred, his cheeks flushed. He drank deeply from his beer and stifled a burp.  
  
An eyebrow rose, a toothy grin appeared. “Yeah, back in college.” Then Kuroo frowned. “Why? Is the excitement wearing off back home?”  
  
Though Bokuto sometimes tried to be aloof about his dating situation, he'd never been good at holding back his visible and unrestrained adoration for his partners. A big gloating grin paraded on his face. “Never any less exciting, my friend. Just wondering what it was like for you.”  
  
Kuroo shrugged. He took another swig of his beer before he answered. “Drunk? Messy?” He sighed and ran a hand through the mess that was his hair. “Those girls just wanted to try out what happened if they added a man to the equation, I think. But hey, it was kinda fun.” Though Kuroo had to admit to himself, it had also been very impersonal. He didn’t necessarily object against casual sex, but he felt it was important to have at least some emotional connection.  
  
“Huh, so you’d do it again then?”  
  
Man, he was buzzed. Part of him realised he should have a stronger reaction to Bokuto's questions and the sudden direction this conversation was taking, but instead he just shrugged again. “I don't know? Depend on who’s involved I guess.”  
  
He’d just put his beer to his lips when Bokuto continued and almost made him choke on his drink. “How about if there’s a guy?”  
  
“Fuck, Bokuto, what’s with these questions, man? How drunk are you? How many beers have you had?”  
  
“As much as you have, buddy.”  
  
“Too fucking many then.”  
  
Silence fell as Bokuto waited for Kuroo to answer with an uncharacteristic amount of patience.  
  
Eventually, Kuroo sighed and couldn’t believe he was seriously responding to this. He blamed the alcohol. “Alright, honestly? You’re one of the few guys I’d consider doing that with. Not that it matters, it’s not like you would ever let me anywhere near Akaashi or (Name) anyway.”  
  
Fuck, that was more than he intended to say. Obviously Bokuto was not the only one who had too much to drink. Perhaps he should cut himself off now if he started rambling like that.  
  
“Hey, I trust you.”  
  
A pause.  
  
“Okay, but you _know_ Akaashi would never let me touch (Name).”  
  
“Uhm, actually...”  
  
The pause stretched out longer.  
  
“...(Name) would not let me touch (Name)?”  
  
“Oh, she most definitely would. You’d be surprised.”  
  
Kuroo blinked as understanding dawned in his alcohol-addled brain. “Wait, is that what brought this on? What are you asking me, Bokuto? What would that even be, a foursome? Is that even a thing?”  
  
Bokuto shook his head. “I’m not asking you to do anything. Just thought you should know the option is there.”  
  
“Right.” Kuroo blinked again multiple times, trying to clear his head. Then he realised that was the opposite of what he wanted. “Okay, I’m getting another beer. Or three. And I’m cutting you off, you’ve obviously had way too much to drink.”  
  
He shook his head as he walked towards the fridge, feeling a little woozy - and not just because of the alcohol. _Fuck_ , what was Bokuto thinking, casually dropping a bomb like that?  
  
No way. There was no way.

 

* * *

  
Kuroo’s hands were slightly clammy when he knocked on the door. He could hear muffled voices from the other side and footsteps coming up to the entrance. When the door opened he was greeted by Bokuto’s wide grin, which helped to ease some of his nervousness.

“Hey hey! You’re early!” Gesturing at his guest to come in, Bokuto backed away from the doorway and Kuroo took off his shoes and socks. He could see Akaashi and you chatting in the kitchen area of the apartment, putting away the last clean dishes.  
  
Bokuto closed the door behind Kuroo and led him to the living area, where they both settled on the couch.  
  
You walked out of the kitchen and smiled brightly at Kuroo. “Hey, Tetsurou-kun, make yourself at home!” An over-sized shirt clung on your shoulders and hips, falling almost entirely over your shorts. Judging by the size, it was Bokuto’s. “Sorry we’re not ready for you yet, we didn’t expect you until later.” You excused yourself and retreated to the bedroom.  
  
Initially Kuroo had been surprised to hear that Bokuto and Akaashi had welcomed a third person in their relationship, but after meeting you a couple of times, it started to make sense. You were easy-going and quick to laugh, especially at any stupid joke that left Bokuto’s mouth. Instead of disturbing the balance in Bokuto and Akaashi’s lives, you had almost seamlessly added your own layer of bluntness and warmth to it.  
  
And apparently now they wanted to try adding Kuroo to the equation, if only just for an evening.  
  
Kuroo swallowed thickly and wiped his hands on his jeans.  
  
It’s not that he was having second thoughts, or even considered this a bad idea in any shape or form. It had been unexpected - _very unexpected_ \- when it first came up, but definitely not bad. However, now the idea was about to turn into a reality, and Kuroo felt daunted. Sure, there had been that night back in college, but that was one less person involved, and he never felt a particularly strong attachment to those girls. This was different.  
  
Bokuto seemed unaware of Kuroo’s nerves and chatted happily about a productive change in his training regime. To be fair, it served as a good distraction to keep Kuroo’s mind off of what was to come. When Akaashi joined them, he was a bit more perceptive than his boyfriend.  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
Breathing out slowly, Kuroo nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”  
  
Akaashi cocked his head to the side and studied him. “Just to be clear, there are no hard feelings if you changed your mind.”  
  
“No, I’m good. I mean, I could use a beer, but I’m good.”  
  
Instantly Bokuto jumped up and walked back to the kitchen, rummaging in the fridge. Akaashi leaned forward in his seat and kept his gaze fixed on Kuroo. “It might be a good idea to establish some ground rules anyway,” he said, rubbing at the tip of his index finger.  
  
Bokuto returned with two small bottles and handed Kuroo a cold beer, already opened. Kuroo quickly took a large swallow and inhaled sharply, welcoming that first rush of alcohol.  
  
A second gulp and he lowered the bottle, looking back at Akaashi. “Ground rules?”  
  
Akaashi shrugged. “To make sure we’re all on the same wavelength.” He exchanged a look with Bokuto, who leaned back and locked his hands behind his head. “Should we agree on a safe word? Just in case?”  
  
The matter-of-factness with which Akaashi spoke made Kuroo chuckle. “Just what have you guys been planning?” he joked, and took another swig of his drink. Perhaps it was the beer, perhaps it was Akaashi’s casual approach, but Kuroo realised he was finally relaxing.  
  
“Nothing planned, we wanted to keep it spontaneous,” Akaashi answered, making Kuroo grin again. Count on Akaashi to respond so seriously. “Either way, ‘red’ is always acknowledged here.”  
  
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Kuroo lifted his bottle to his lips for another drink.  
  
“What are your feelings on anal?”  
  
Kuroo almost chocked on his beer. Laughing loudly, Bokuto patted him on the back. “Don’t scare him like that, Keiji! And you say I have no tact!”  
  
After taking a moment to recover, Kuroo shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t have any experience with that ...and I think tonight has more than enough going on so, uhm, no, not this time. But don’t let that stop you guys.” Wait, _not this time_? Internally, Kuroo shook his head. Very smooth, you idiot.  
  
Akaashi either did not pick up on the implication or chose to ignore it. “No need to apologise. You are okay with any of us touching you, right?”  
  
Kuroo couldn’t keep the wide smirk from his face and grinned at Akaashi with lidded eyes. “Only if I get to do the same.” The faint blush on Akaashi’s cheeks as he broke eye-contact was utterly satisfying.  
  
At that moment the bedroom door opened and you reappeared, changed into just a robe. Kuroo couldn’t help from eyeing your legs and the faint sway of your hips as you walked up to them. You stopped at the side of the couch and leaned down to give Bokuto a kiss on his forehead, and Kuroo wondered if you did it on purpose to provide ample view of your cleavage.  
  
Akaashi eyed your antics with a raised eyebrow. “Aren’t you impatient tonight.”  
  
You smiled at him, radiating innocence. “I just thought we might want to get started if you boys have finished talking.”  
  
“So eager,” he said, a lazy grin on his face. Akaashi got up from the couch and walked over to you, draping an arm over your shoulders to lean close, lips brushing against your ear. Whatever he said, your cheeks flared crimson as a result.  
  
Looking quite pleased with himself, Akaashi pulled away and started to walk towards the bedroom door. He put his hand on the handle and turned around. “But she has a point. Is everyone ready?”  
  
Kuroo downed the last of his beer and Bokuto did the same. He stood up and felt himself warm up when he saw you smile at him, lips slightly parted and an excited glimmer in your eyes. He wondered what Akaashi had said to you, but Kuroo suspected it might have involved him.  
  
Last one to the enter the bedroom, Kuroo closed the door behind him.  
  
When he turned around, Bokuto was already starting to push the robe off your shoulders and kissing you deeply, little eager noises escaping him as your bare skin was revealed. Akaashi sighed and whapped him lightly on the head.  
  
“Koutarou, you’re too greedy.”  
  
You broke the kiss and pulled at Bokuto’s shirt while Akaashi undid the button and zipper of Bokuto’s pants after taking off his own sweater. For a moment Kuroo felt out of place, an intruder in this intimate space. Bokuto’s eye fell on him. “You’re a bit overdressed for the occasion, Kuroo,” he said, grinning widely. His words made you turn towards Kuroo, your robe fallen open and revealing you to him.  
  
Kuroo swallowed when you sauntered over to him, but your confidence faltered once you stood in front of him. Glancing downward, you ran a hand through your hair and shyly reached out for him. You hesitated, as though trying to gauge what was okay to do in this situation and how far you could go.  
  
Somehow, your visible nerves helped to sooth his own and he cupped your chin, tilting it up to face him. Your eyes met, and he leaned in. Hands tangled in his hair instantly. He put one on your bare hip and tugged you a little closer while he moved his lips against you in a languid kiss. Regaining your nerve, you slipped your tongue inside. Your nails grazed against his scalp when he groaned into your mouth and massaged his tongue against yours, taking control over the kiss.  
  
Akaashi had moved behind you, slipping off your robe entirely while pressing open-mouthed kisses on your shoulders. Already stripped down to his underwear, Bokuto kept himself busy by helping Akaashi out of his pants, hands greedily wandering over his body.  
  
You sighed softly when you broke the kiss. Licking your lips, you stared up at him, then down at his fully clad body. “Kou is right,” you muttered, then tugged at his shirt. “Way overdressed. Let’s fix that.” Your fingers darted further downward to his pants, undoing them with light touches. He took off his shirt himself while you tugged off his jeans, and you hummed appreciatively at the view. “Lay down on the bed.”  
  
Without protest he obliged you, lowering himself onto the king sized bed. A large towel had been spread over the sheets, and Kuroo lay down on it. Bokuto took this opportunity to steal another kiss from you while Akaashi took some distance from the scene and sat down in a chair, his alert gaze not missing a single detail.  
  
Bokuto grabbed your ass and pulled you tightly against him, wet noises filling the room from his enthusiastic kiss. You put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him away, nodding towards the bed with an almost imperceivable gesture. However, Kuroo did not miss it. He could not possibly have, his eyes fixated on both you and Bokuto. He resisted the urge to stroke himself, instead waiting patiently while you crawled onto the bed and settled yourself in his lap. Bokuto followed behind you.  
  
Some of your bluster dissipated again. You smiled down on him almost shyly, your hands resting on his chest and nails lightly scraping his skin. Kuroo fought hard to keep his breathing under control, fingers clenching and relaxing around your hips, hyper aware of the two men watching him.  
  
Bokuto had his chest pressed against your back, and now his fingers travelled between your legs and started to work you. The effect was instantaneous; you gasped and tried to wriggle your hips - except Kuroo held you firmly into place. Your soft moans filled the room as Bokuto latched onto your neck and switched between open-mouthed kisses and sucking harshly. Kuroo could see older marks on your collar bone, and wondered just how sensitive you were there.  
  
He wanted to find out.  
  
One of his hands let go of your hip and he pushed himself upright. For a moment he contented himself to nuzzle your neck, taking in your sweet scent, then his tongue darted out and experimentally dragged over your skin.  
  
You whimpered and arched into him, hands clutching onto his shoulders. He let you move your hips freely now, rubbing up against him through the fabric of his shorts while Bokuto’s fingers increased their pace, thumb now pressing directly on your clit. Kuroo could feel himself becoming hard from the friction.  
  
Your legs started to shake, and a self-satisfied smirk appeared on Bokuto’s face when he realised how close you were. “Kou, please,” you said. It was nothing more than a soft whimper, but everyone heard. “I’m so close.”  
  
“I know, babe,” Bokuto said, words muffled by him grinning against your neck.  
  
Kuroo could hear a rustling behind him and knew Akaashi had gotten up from his chair, now standing close to lean in and brush his lips against your ear. His eyes were fixed on Kuroo as he murmured your name. “Do you want Kuroo to finish you off? You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”  
  
Hips jerking, Kuroo groaned loudly when you nodded eagerly. Akaashi dove in for a deep kiss, tongue slipping into your mouth and exploring thoroughly. Bokuto made a soft noise of disappointment, but his hands still eased up on your core and travelled up to engulf your breasts instead. You gasped when Bokuto twisted a nipple, then you brushed your hands over Kuroo’s, as if to will them into action.  
  
“Hang on, I have a better idea,” he said, and started to tug you forward. Your eyes widened when you realised his intention, giving him a needy moan and moved until you were positioned right over his mouth. He wet his lips and you shuddered; just the anticipation was enough to make you tremble.  
  
Slow licks and deliberate sucking left you undone above him. He moved one of his hands to tease your clit, alternating between thrusting his tongue inside you and dragging it from your opening to where his fingers worked.  
  
Bokuto backed away from you and momentarily disrupted Kuroo’s rhythm when he cupped Kuroo’s cock through the fabric of his underwear, then tugged the shorts off. His hand started to pump Kuroo while he swirled his tongue around the tip. Kuroo groaned loudly and the vibration caused you to gasp. Your hand sought purchase around you and found Akaashi, who teased you with soft touches and kisses. He pressed his lips against yours just as you keened at Kuroo's tongue flicking against your clit, and Akaashi gladly took the opportunity to dive in deeply.  
  
Though Kuroo tried to stay focused on you, he found himself increasingly distracted by Bokuto’s mouth on him, taking him deeper inside and giving harsh sucks. But he still saw your hand wander to the bulge in Akaashi’s shorts, only to have Akaashi intercept and press his lips to your knuckles. “One thing at the time. Have a little patience, we can do that later,” he purred while gazing down on Kuroo. A lazy smirk grew on his face. “Focus on him right now. You’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you.”  
  
Your breath hitched and you nodded frantically, biting your lip to keep in the moans. You were only moderately successful.  
  
“Is he as good as you imagined?” Akaashi pressed on, nibbling on the shell of your ear. “You’ve been fantasising about his tongue for weeks now, haven’t you, greedy girl.”  
  
“Yes, yes, aaahh.” You only barely managed to get out the words, constant gasps escaping you and rocking your hips insistently into Kuroo’s hand and mouth. “It feels so good, Tetsu...”  
  
Kuroo groaned and almost bucked his hips into Bokuto’s mouth, only stopped by the other man’s hands holding him down. Bokuto had started to suck almost aggressively, not about to be forgotten in this tangle of limbs. He slurped loudly around Kuroo’s cock and let out soft moans of his own. The hum of Kuroo’s groans against your clit was too much for you to handle and you cried out his name, back arching so much he worried you’d snap. Garbled noises spilled from you as you tugged at his hair and nails scratched at his shoulder.  
  
When you backed away from Kuroo’s mouth, Akaashi bend down to kiss him, entwining their tongues to get a taste of both you and Kuroo. He explored deeply, tongue grazing against the roof of Kuroo’s mouth. Eventually he pulled away with a satisfied expression, a small strand of saliva connecting their lips.  
  
Kuroo could not help but moan steadily now, gasping when Bokuto massaged his balls. Akaashi tongued Kuroo’s neck and left sharp bites, while your fingertips fluttered over his chest and scratched his nipples. The mix of sensations threatened to overwhelm him and when Bokuto’s tongue teased the slit of his cock, Kuroo shuddered and bucked his hips, coming with a loud groan. Bokuto swallowed greedily while you and Akaashi let up your ministrations and gave Kuroo some space.  
  
Chest rising and falling heavily, Kuroo stared up at you and smirked when he saw you recover from a similar state.  
  
You grinned back at him, humming in satisfaction. A gasp escaped you when Bokuto pressed himself against your back. At some point he had taken off his boxers and now grinded his cock against your lower back.  
  
“I can’t wait much longer, _fuck_ please can I,” he whined, his speech an unintelligible mess while he nipped at your shoulder and gripped your hip with one hand while running his thumb over your nipple with the other. “I want to be inside you, please...”  
  
Wiggling your hips, you let out a pleased moan. “Yes,” you moaned breathlessly, pushing your ass back against him. “I want you, Kou, I need you to fuck me.”  
  
Kuroo swallowed thickly at the display in front of him, already feeling himself get hard again. You glanced downward when you noticed and licked your lips. With a light press against Bokuto’s chest, you halted his grinding. Your gaze travelled between him and Kuroo. “Can I” - you paused and took a deep breath, trying to regain your composure - “I want both of you.”  
  
Bokuto broke out in a wide grin and you looked at Kuroo, searching for permission.  
  
Instead of giving a verbal answer, Kuroo grabbed onto your hips and grinded against you, earning a loud gasp.  
  
You leaned downward and left a trail of kisses on his neck, travelling upwards until you pulled at his earlobe with your teeth. Meanwhile, Bokuto asked Akaashi to hand him the lube. Kuroo drew shuddering breaths, thoroughly distracted by your teeth on his neck and hands exploring his chest and abdomen. “Akaashi, I,” he groaned softly, “I have condoms, in my pocket.” He gestured towards the pants that lay forgotten on the floor.  
  
Akaashi took care of both, handing Kuroo a condom and Bokuto another one along with the lube. He lingered at Bokuto, pressing their lips together in a messy kiss. When Bokuto put his hand on the front of Akaashi’s underwear and the hard bulge underneath, Akaashi broke away and smiled. “Don’t worry, (Name) will take care of me, won’t she?” He trailed his hand up your spine with a featherlight touch, making you shudder.  
  
You nodded with vigour and parted your lips, soft puffs of breath falling on Kuroo’s neck.  
  
The slick sound of Bokuto applying lube on his fingers filled the room, and Kuroo could see you tense up with anticipation. “Relax,” he murmured, and pulled you down for another kiss. Your shudders and moans clued him in on what Bokuto was doing. Akaashi rubbed smoothing circles on your back and soon enough you sighed and released the tension from your muscles.  
  
Bokuto inserted another finger and you hissed, but adjusted quicker this time. Kuroo nibbled at your lower lip and ran his hands along your sides.  
  
With a soft moan you broke off the kiss. “I’m ready.” You panted as you tried to get the words out, glancing back at Bokuto, who grinned and adjusted your position so you rubbed against Kuroo’s cock, without removing his fingers. By now Kuroo had become rock hard again and ripped the condom package open. You took the rubber from him and teased it over his length. Breath hitching, Kuroo held a little tighter onto you and groaned at your light touch. “You first,” you whispered in his ear, rocking your hips into him.  
  
He guided your hips, easing you down on him. Oh god, you were so wet. In one smooth motion he filled you up entirely, shuddering at how hot you felt around him. He could hear Akaashi’s breath hitch next to him, entranced by the sight. You started moving slowly, adjusting yourself to his size. You bit your lip and squeezed your eyes shut, hands resting on Kuroo’s chest. Behind you, Bokuto removed his fingers to slip on a condom.  
  
Once you started to relax, Kuroo’s hands trailed up higher over your ribcage while Bokuto gripped your hips tightly. Your breath came in quick gasps as he pushed inside, your walls clenching around Kuroo. He moaned and pulled you down for a hard kiss, thrusting his tongue inside your mouth.  
  
“Oh god, babe, you feel so good,” Bokuto moaned, the tension visible over his entire body. He waited before he continued to move, giving you a moment to adjust. Meanwhile, Akaashi nudged you up, breaking the kiss with Kuroo. You panted heavily as you looked up at him. He had removed his underwear and slowly pumped his cock, but stopped when you reached out a hand to take over. You used your other hand to push yourself up so you could reach him comfortably.  
  
Your tongue darted out and gave the tip quick and light licks, occasionally teasing the slit. Akaashi sighed, your touch finally providing the stimulation he had denied himself before.

The sight made Bokuto groan and he started moving. Kuroo’s breath caught when he felt Bokuto’s cock slide against his own, only separated by a thin barrier inside you. You gasped and Akaashi took the opportunity to ease himself deeper inside your mouth. Bokuto’s hard thrusts gave you only limited control over your own movements, sliding over Akaashi’s length at the other man’s pace.  
  
It became increasingly difficult to think clearly and Kuroo clenched his fist into the towel. The twin sensation of your walls and Bokuto’s cock stimulating him was clouding his head and he breathed sharply. He tried to move his hips but found himself at the mercy of Bokuto’s rhythm.  
  
“H- hey,” he said, reaching up with a hand to try and get the attention of Akaashi and you. Akaashi quirked up an eyebrow and pulled away from you. Your breath came out in soft whines but you looked down at Kuroo with curiosity. Kuroo tried to continue but hissed at a particularly rough thrust from Bokuto that had you cry out. “Could you get a little lower?”  
  
Kuroo pushed himself a bit higher by leaning on his elbows, now fully relinquishing any control he might have had over Bokuto's pace. You cursed at the slight change of angle and grabbed onto Kuroo’s shoulders. Akaashi changed his position so both you and Kuroo were within reach of his cock. He used one hand to hold your shoulder, steadying you somewhat. The other tangled in Kuroo’s hair, little tugs betraying Akaashi’s impatience.  
  
You exchanged a quick look with Kuroo, then pulled him closer for a kiss. The edges of your mouths brushed against Akaashi, and when your tongue moved to meet Kuroo’s, it slid against the tip of Akaashi’s cock. His breathing instantly became louder and raspier.  
  
“Fuck, _fuck_ that’s hot,” Bokuto cursed behind you, his movements becoming more frantic and uncontrolled.  
  
Even with Akaashi’s hand stabilising you, you could not stop your body from rocking in time with Bokuto’s forceful thrusts and your lips slipped back over Akaashi’s length. He started to moan softly as you sucked on the head, letting Kuroo drag his tongue over the shaft. The hand in Kuroo’s hair clenched and he could hear Akaashi’s rough inhales of breath.  
  
Bokuto adjusted his grip on you and burrowed himself into you with quick but deep thrusts. The slightly different angle and pace had you keening around Akaashi’s cock and Kuroo cursed out loud. He felt you tighten around him and his back arched when he came, a surge of heat shooting through him. You joined him almost instantaneously, and Akaashi pulled roughly at Kuroo’s hair when the vibrations of your moans hit him.  
  
You sucked hard on the tip then took in as much as you could, while Kuroo teased Akaashi’s balls with his tongue. Akaashi inhaled sharply then bucked his hips while you dragged your lips over his length. He groaned loudly and rocked into you, finally losing some of that iron self control. His movements stuttered and he let out a shaky moan as his climax hit him. Kuroo could see you swallow, then released Akaashi’s cock from your mouth with a resounding ‘pop’.  
  
Kuroo laid back on the bed and reached between your legs. You cried out when his thumb teased around your clit, still sensitive from your previous orgasm. Akaashi helped you stay upright, his hand brushing over your jawline and through your hair.  
  
Bokuto leaned forward and drew his tongue over your spine, nibbling at your skin. Whiny grunts escaped him continuously at this point, and Kuroo guessed he was very close. Determined to make you come one last time before that, Kuroo teased you with his long fingers, quickly building you up towards another orgasm. You bit your lip and your nails dug deeply into his shoulders. By now your body was so sensitive, Kuroo avoided your clit and instead teased just below. He still barely had to touch you to make you come again, hips bucking. You would have screamed if it weren’t for Akaashi leaning in to kiss you hard, muffling the sound.  
  
With two more rough thrusts, Bokuto finally came as well, groaning loudly, then pulled out and collapsed against your back. If it weren’t for Akaashi still holding onto you, you probably would have crumpled into Kuroo.  
  
“Fuck, that was awesome,” Bokuto murmured, rubbing his cheek against your shoulder.  
  
You were still catching your breath, moaning softly when the two men pulled out of you. Akaashi kissed you again, gentle and almost chaste this time. “Koutarou, you’re crushing her,” he murmured when he broke away.  
  
Bokuto released you from his weight and let himself drop on the bed next to you and Kuroo. His eyes shone and he grinned in satisfaction at the mess beside him. Akaashi helped you off Kuroo and steadied you into a sitting position. “Water?” he asked and you nodded. Tenderly he ran his fingers through your hair, then got up to put on his boxer shorts and disappeared into the bathroom.  
  
After gathering his strength, Kuroo sat up straight and removed the condom, tying it up. “There’s a trashcan there,” you said, gesturing towards a small bin next to the nightstand. Kuroo reached over to drop it in, quickly after Bokuto did the same.  
  
Akaashi returned from the bathroom with a glass of water, and picked up an old hoodie on his way back to the bed. He handed you the hoodie first, and Bokuto reached over to help you put it on, pressing a soft kiss on your shoulder. You gave both a grateful smile and took slow sips of the water.  
  
“Do you need anything?” Akaashi asked Kuroo. “Something to drink? Eat?”  
  
“S- some water would be good,” Kuroo said, caught off guard by the gentleness in Akaashi’s voice.  
  
Bokuto chuckled behind him while Akaashi nodded and got another glass. “What, surprised we’re not just kicking you out? We know how to take care of our guests,” he said, then sat upright and repositioned himself so you could lean against him. You sighed happily and almost melted against his broad shoulders.  
  
“‘We’, Koutarou? I don’t see you getting Kuroo anything,” Akaashi’s muffled voice sounded from the bathroom.  
  
Bokuto yelped. “Hey, I’m taking care of her!” He brushed his hands over your shoulders and rubbed his cheek against the top of your head. Something lurched inside Kuroo’s stomach at the tender moment of intimacy, threatening to make him feel like an outsider again.  
  
Akaashi reentered the room, handed Kuroo a glass of water and sat next to them on the bed.  
  
“Is there anything else? We always make sure to have some snacks, this glutton constantly has cravings afterwards.” He gestured at Bokuto, who broke out in protest until his stomach rumbled. You and Kuroo laughed while Akaashi let out a deep sigh.  
  
“I’m okay, you go eat something,” you told Bokuto, and he grinned.  
  
He kissed your cheek and stood up from the bed. “You’re the best,” he said, and quickly pulled on his shorts before disappearing to the kitchen.  
  
You finished your glass of water and turned to Kuroo. “Are you good to go home after all this?”  
  
“No problem. I don’t live that far away, you know.”  
  
You smiled. “Just wanted to make sure.” With Bokuto gone, Akaashi took his place and started brushing through your hair with his fingers. You let out a soft moan and leaned into his touch, your own thumb tracing figures on his leg. “Keiji, anything I can do for you?”  
  
He shook his head and continued grooming you. “This is enough.”  
  
A comfortable silence settled in the bedroom, though Kuroo could hear the sound of Bokuto rummaging and humming to himself in the kitchen. Kuroo was tempted to join him, but then you touched his arm softly and smiled at him.  
  
“Thanks, Tetsu,” you sighed, and Kuroo noted that you had dropped the honorifics, unlike the start of the evening. “This was... Well this was beyond my expectations, to be honest.”  
  
“That’s saying something, she’s been very excited about this.”  
  
You scowled and softly punched Akaashi in the leg, but he just pulled you in close and kissed your cheek despite your protests.  
  
Kuroo ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. “No need to thank me, I had a really good time tonight.” He stood up and downed the remainder of his water, then put the glass on the nightstand and started putting his clothes back on.  
  
He hesitated for a moment then looked at Akaashi and you sitting on the bed, cuddled close together.

“Hey, if you’re ever up for something like this again, you might be able to talk me into it,” Kuroo said, buttoning his pants with a lazy grin.  
  
Akaashi smirked when he saw the glint in your eyes. “We might just do that.”  
  
_Like that would take any effort at all_ , his expression said.  
  
Kuroo heard laughter and turned his head to see Bokuto standing in the doorway, a sandwich in his hand. He shook his head, grinning widely. “Look at the smooth bastard, trying to play hard to get.” Bokuto took a large bite of his sandwich. “You can’t fool me, Kuroo!”  
  
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Koutarou,” Akaashi muttered.  
  
“Gah, don’t undermine me while I’m trash talking Kuroo!”  
  
You sniggered. “Oh, that was supposed to be trash talk?” Bokuto gave you a petulant look. “Aww, I’m sorry, Kou. I’m just kidding, you really let him have it!” you said and reached out your hands to him.  
  
However, Bokuto was still peeved and turned to Kuroo instead. “See what I have to put up with here? No respect.” He swivelled around and walked back in the kitchen.  
  
You glanced at Akaashi, but he shook his head. “It’s fine. I give it ten seconds.”  
  
Kuroo rubbed the back of his head and avoided eye-contact with you and Akaashi. He sensed it was time to leave; the fun was over and staying longer would probably be an intrusion nobody was comfortable with (or at least, he wouldn’t be), but he felt at a loss over how to handle this smoothly. What did anyone say in a situation like this? _See you later? Thank you? Let’s do this again?_  
  
“Are you leaving?” you asked, then got up from the bed. You walked over and kissed him on the cheek, pulling back with a grin. “Thanks again, this was great.”  
  
“Yeah,” he said. “It was.” _Smooth_.  
  
After a quick goodbye to Akaashi, he left the bedroom. In the kitchen he saw Bokuto snacking on some cookies, jar shamelessly in his hand.  
  
Bokuto had found a sweater to put on somewhere and looked quite happy, the earlier teasing already forgotten. He cocked his head to the side when he saw Kuroo. “Want one?”  
  
Kuroo shook his head. “No thanks, I should get home.”  
  
Putting down the jar, Bokuto walked Kuroo up to the door. He watched Kuroo put on his shoes and frowned. “Hey, were you okay tonight? You seemed a little timid sometimes.”  
  
Gritting his teeth, Kuroo twitched. “Are you trying to piss me off on purpose?” He finished tying his shoes and straightened up. _Timid_? Seriously?  
  
Bokuto laughed and patted Kuroo on the shoulder. “See, that’s the Kuroo I know.”  
  
Kuroo blinked, then ran a hand through his hair, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. Okay, perhaps Bokuto had a point. However, Kuroo had no intention of letting anyone know he'd been nervous, so he just shrugged instead.  
  
Whether Bokuto bought it or not, Kuroo wasn’t sure, but at least the subject was dropped.  
  
Bokuto opened the door for him with a big grin. “Well, this was fun,” he said. “We still on for this Friday? I found a couple of fantastic bad movies we _got_ to see.”  
  
The thought of just hanging out with Bokuto, reestablishing a sense of normalcy, was strangely reassuring. “Yep. Can you get some snacks? Then I’ll make sure I have some beer in the house.”  
  
“Deal!”  
  
Once Kuroo got outside, the cool night air felt refreshing against his skin. It helped to clear his thoughts.  
  
He definitely had no regrets about tonight.  
  
At the same time, he did hope it would be a while before he saw you and Akaashi again. Bokuto was easier somehow. Bokuto he could deal with. For the others he felt it might take a little longer before he could face them without the risk of turning into an awkward mess.

* * *

  
“Ahhh, I’m in trouble, Keiji,” you said, languidly stretching on the bed. “I don’t think just the two of you will ever be able to satisfy me now.”  
  
Akaashi chuckled, leaning down to press a kiss on your stomach. When he lightly traced his tongue around your navel, you giggled and pushed him away. “Don’t let Koutarou hear you joke about that. He’ll be depressed for days.”  
  
Resting your hands behind your head, you grinned at Akaashi. “Oh? You think I’m joking, that’s so cute.”  
  
Carefully keeping his face blank, Akaashi stared at the provocative smile on your face. He fully realised what you were trying to do and yet... well, there was no harm in indulging you every once in a while.  
  
He grabbed your hips and blew softly against your slit. “You might regret those words later,” he said, then licked his lips and leaned in to prove you wrong.  
  
In the end, he would definitely satisfy you.  
  
But first, you would beg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be at least three chapters? I've got a general guideline and chapter 2 roughly outlined but I don't feel secure tying myself down to specifics yet. More tags will be added as needed.
> 
> (I'm so out of my depth help)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I just really wanted to thank everyone who has commented, left kudos, bookmarked or even just read this story so far? I’m genuinely kind of floored by the response, and I can only hope you will continue to read it!
> 
> Secondly, I ended up deciding to cut this chapter in half. It got near 12.000 words and that’s getting a little ridiculous for one update. I’m a little sad over it; the reason I tried to push it in one update is because this way you guys have to wait a little longer for more of the smutty content~ The next chapter just needs some rigorous editing and should be up within a couple of days.
> 
> (Thirdly Kuroo is a huge dork pass it on ...also, I want to apologise beforehand for the puns)

Kuroo’s hopes of avoiding you and Akaashi for a while were quickly crushed into smithereens. He’d been pumped for a relaxed evening of messing around with one of his best friends, when a loud bass sounded from upstairs, drilling through his eardrums. He rubbed his temple as he tried to focus on his phone call with Bokuto.  
  
_“Aw man, I can hear it through the phone. Want to come crash over here?”_  
  
He hesitated for a second, but then the chatter increased again, punctuated by loud laughter. When he had gone upstairs earlier to find out what the hell was going on, he’d been confronted by a big anniversary and a permit.  
  
With a deep sigh, Kuroo accepted the offer.  
  
_“Hey, we’ll still be able to watch a movie. The others are out anyway, they shouldn’t be back too early.”_  
  
Ah, perhaps there was hope after all.  
  
_“Don’t worry about drinks, I think we still have a crate of beer somewhere. Just get your ass over here, man.”_  
  
He didn’t have to be told twice.  
  
Since it was still early and the weather was nice, Kuroo decided to walk instead of taking the bus. At a brisk pace it took him twenty minutes to reach the apartment building, another two to take the elevator upstairs.  
  
While waiting for the elevator to arrive on the right floor, he tried to work the kinks out of his neck. The disturbance at home made him gather a lot of tension in his shoulders, and despite the relaxing walk he could still feel the threat of an onsetting headache. With a ‘ding’ the doors opened and Kuroo grimaced as he tried not to think about the last time he walked through this hallway. Thankfully, the prospect of unwinding with a bad movie proved enough of a distraction. Kuroo knocked on the door and only had to wait a moment for Bokuto to open and grin at him.  
  
Kuroo froze.

That grin on Bokuto's face reminded Kuroo all too clearly of the last time they saw each other. His hair was messy and unstyled, but held back from his face with colourful hairclips, giving Kuroo clear view of Bokuto's sharp eyes. Dammit. What had he been thinking, that seeing Bokuto again would be easy? Kuroo stared at Bokuto, unbidden memories of last week coming back to him, of them both fucking you at the same time, the way...  
  
He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to return to the present.  
  
Unaware of all the things running through Kuroo’s head, Bokuto’s grin widened. “So... I guess they’re having a real ‘hoot’ at your building?”  
  
Smiling despite himself, Kuroo rolled his eyes. “How long have you been holding onto that one?”  
  
“Since you hung up the phone!”  
  
And like that, everything was back to normal. Kuroo’s improper thoughts were banished, and Bokuto made him pick out a movie from his selection of awful choices.  
  
After careful consideration, Kuroo choose the most promising one and they relaxed on the couch with a beer and popcorn, loudly commentating on and joking about the weirdness they were watching. After all, not every day you got to watch bloodthirsty sharks swim around in the snow. Every now and then Kuroo attempted to massage his own neck, trying to get the tension out of there. The movie and company were helping, but not enough to remove it entirely.  
  
They were well underway into the movie when Kuroo heard the door. He looked back and saw you shuffle inside. Though you were dressed in an elegant pant suit, your appearance was tousled and expression grumpy. It was not hard to guess that you just had a long day.  
  
Bokuto glanced back at you and waved. “Hey, I thought you wouldn’t be home until later.”  
  
You groaned and rubbed your temples. “I made up an excuse to get out of drinks after. I thought my head was going to explode after all that talking.” Then you frowned and stared the guys, as though only now realising they were here. “Not that I mind, but weren't you going to hang out at Kuroo’s today?”  
  
“Change of plans, neighbours are having a party.”  
  
With a blissful sigh you took off your heels and walked barefoot into the room. You massaged your scalp, messing up your hair even further.  
  
“Hey, you okay? Sounds like a rough day?” Bokuto was hanging off the back of the coach now, ignoring the movie for a moment.  
  
“Ugh, those speakers at the symposium were unbelievably boring. Or just plain stupid.” When Bokuto started to reach for the remote, you shook your head. “No don’t, I’ll complain some more about them tomorrow, you guys just enjoy yourselves.”  
  
You went into the bedroom and the guys returned their focus on the movie, just in time to see some dude getting killed off by his own stupidity. Kuroo could hear your muffled voice talking to someone on the phone, and later there was the sound of a shower.  
  
Some time later, you reappeared in an over-sized shirt and comfy pants with a towel wrapped around your hair. You frowned as you tried to figure out what the guys were watching.  
  
“Wait, is that _snow_ they’re swimming in?”  
  
“Well, they are snow sharks, after all! It’s not that complicated, babe!”  
  
“...sure. Uh, you boys have fun with this. Whatever this is.”  
  
Despite your dismissive words, after a quick visit to the kitchen for a drink you grabbed a handful of popcorn and curled up into a comfy chair. You watched the movie with a furrowed brow, trying to get into it. Considering the lack of coherent plot, this didn't take long.  
  
“Wow, those sharks are.. _snow joke_ ,” you said when a couple of girls fell victim to them.  
  
Kuroo guffawed at your horrible pun and Bokuto beamed with pride. However, not ten minutes later your phone lit up and once again you retreated to the bedroom to take the call. The sway of your hips was a little distracting, but Kuroo kept his attention on the TV like a perfect gentleman.  
  
When the strain on his neck seemed to increase again, he started to seriously consider asking Bokuto for some painkillers. You returned to the living room just as Kuroo was rolling his head around in an attempt to ease the pressure.  
  
“Hey, are you okay?” Bokuto asked, frowning at Kuroo’s antics. Your eyes narrowed and you walked up to the back of the couch.  
  
Kuroo shook his head. “Just some tension. Do you have any painkillers?”  
  
You pursed your lips and started to reach out to him, then held back at the last moment. “Yeah, we have some. But I could loosen it up for you a bit, if you want.”  
  
He turned to face you and blinked. “Wait, is that okay?”  
  
With a shrug you stretched your arms and fingers. A soft pop went through the room as your joints cracked. “Hey, I wouldn’t be a good therapist if I couldn’t help you out with this.”  
  
Right. Physical therapist. Totally professional, no big deal.  
  
Kuroo glanced at Bokuto in search of some kind of reaction, but Bokuto barely paid attention to the conversation, instead watching how the group put together a last-ditch effort at escaping the sharks. Obviously they’d succeed, Kuroo thought, but probably not without a couple of casualties. He kind of hoped that one asshole would die.  
  
Taking his lack of an answer for permission, you lightly pressed your palms against Kuroo’s shoulders, then applied a bit more pressure. It took a lot out of Kuroo to not instantly tense up even more at your touch. However, somehow he managed to relax; helped along by your hands working out the kinks in his neck and shoulder. When you worked on the part where his neck and scalp connected, fingers brushing through his hair, Kuroo sighed happily and had to resist the urge to let his head fall back.  
  
You chuckled and leaned forward into his eyesight. “You’re lucky, I don’t usually do this outside of work hours.”  
  
“Oh?” Kuroo glanced at Bokuto. “Not even for this lout?”  
  
Laughing, you straightened back up. “I make an exception for him and Keiji, but they always make it up to me later.”  
  
_I could make it up to you._  
  
He bit back the thought. No flirting with a friend’s girl ...even if they all had sex together.  
  
“Oh, Keiji is on his way back by the way,” you said, pressing your palm into a particular knot of muscles that made Kuroo hiss. “Ah sorry, that really is a sore spot, isn’t it?” You did not move away from the muscle, but did ease up on the force used.  
  
“Good! How did it go? Did he say?” Bokuto did not even look away from the screen as he responded, eyes glued onto the final showdown.  
  
You used both hands to rub your fingers in tight circles at the base of Kuroo’s head, and he couldn’t help but groan a little. _So good._  
  
“They accepted the proposal for now, but with a few adjustments.”  
  
Bokuto frowned and shot you a quick glance. “Adjustments that cause him even more work?”  
  
“Didn’t say. So probably yes.”  
  
He let out a grunt of frustration. “I hope the deadline is a bit more forgiving this time.”  
  
The room became a bit more quiet as the movie reached its climax, punctuated by the occasional comment or joke from Kuroo or Bokuto. Finally the credits rolled, and Bokuto stretched out with a loud groan.  
  
Kuroo grinned at him. “That was a good one, Bo. You could almost say it was pretty... _jaw-some_.”  
  
You let out a loud laugh behind you and finally pulled away your hands. “How does it feel now? I can still get you some aspirin if you need it.”  
  
Experimentally Kuroo moved his head around, feeling more relaxed than he had in days. The looming threat of a headache had dissipated. “No, this is great.” He turned to look at you. “Really, thank you.”  
  
“No problem, Tetsurou-kun.” Ah, so the honorific had returned. That wasn't supposed to bother him, right?  
  
You walked over to Bokuto and put your arms around his shoulders, resting your head on top of his. “I don’t know what you guys want to do, but I’m going to bed. I’ll put in earplugs, so you don't have to worry too much about any noise.”  
  
Bokuto leaned back his head so you could press a gentle upside-down kiss to his lips. You softly raked your fingers through his hair, then you headed towards the bedroom. At the doorway you hesitated. “Please tell Keiji that it’s weekend now, okay? He needs a break.” You chewed on your lower lip, but Bokuto gave you a reassuring nod.  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”  
  
Your frown transformed into a tender smile and you wished the guys a nice evening. As soon as you left the room, the irresistible urge to yawn overcame Kuroo. Damn, that massage might have relaxed him a little too much.  
  
Cocking his head to the side, Bokuto studied his friend. For a moment he looked deep in thought. “Hey, do you want to bunk over here tonight? Who knows how long that party will be going on, it’ll be quiet here.” He cleared his throat, cheeks burning with fluster. “Also, if you’re sleeping in the guest bedroom then Keiji can’t pull an all-nighter in there.”  
  
Even without hte risk of a noisy celebration waiting for him at home, Kuroo would have a hard time resisting the look his friend gave him. “I don’t have anything with me, but yeah. Sounds good.”  
  
“We might have a spare toothbrush lying around for you. We’ll make it work.” Bokuto paused and glanced at Kuroo. “Want to watch another movie first?”  
  
With a wide grin, Kuroo leaned back to make himself more comfortable. “Do you really have to ask?”  
  
They kept the volume a little lower, but that did not take away from the fun. Zombie sheep provided more than enough entertainment.  
  
“Damn, I had no idea sheep were this vicious,” Bokuto said, grimacing at the screen.  
  
Kuroo chuckled at Bokuto’s put-off expression. “Oya? Are you scared, Bo? Don’t worry, if we’re ever caught by a herd I’ll protect you.”  
  
“Like you’d be able to take these monsters on! Nope, if anyone’s going to be the hero, it’ll be me.” Bokuto flexed his forearms with a cheesy pose for extra effect.  
  
Neither willing to give in, the two stared at each other with a competitive grin. The movie was almost forgotten when Bokuto challenged Kuroo to arm wrestling for the supreme right for protagonist-status - until the front door opened and Akaashi came home. (Kuroo would never admit it, but he was grateful for Akaashi's timing. In all honesty, he did not stand a chance against those biceps and didn’t feel like embarrassing himself tonight.)  
  
If you had looked exhausted upon your return, Akaashi was utterly wrecked. Though his clothes were still impeccable, his hair was messier than usual and he had dark bags under his eyes, dull from fatigue.  
  
Bokuto repositioned himself on the couch, turning away from the TV completely and resting his arms on the back.  
  
“How did it go, Keiji?”  
  
A non-committal grunt was all the response Akaashi gave while he took off his coat and shoes and put them away. “More work.”  
  
Kuroo could see the hesitation on Bokuto’s face. Then he clenched his jaw, replacing hesitance with resolve, and continued talking. “About that, Kuroo is staying over so the other room will be taken.”  
  
For a moment it seemed like Akaashi was going to protest, staring at Bokuto with a blank expression. Then he shook his head and walked further into the room, towards the kitchen.  
  
Bokuto shot Kuroo a look. “Hang on a second.” He paused the movie and walked over to Akaashi.  
  
Kuroo tried not to eavesdrop, but he could see them from the corner of his eyes and Bokuto was not exactly known for being a quiet person. He reached Akaashi with a few large strides, then put his arms around his boyfriend and hugged tightly. Akaashi exhaled loudly and closed his eyes, resting his hands on Bokuto’s shoulders.  
  
When Bokuto broke away from the embrace to kiss Akaashi deeply, Kuroo felt himself warm up and he turned away in embarrassment. There it was again. That feeling of being out of place. Of being an intrusion in a moment of intimacy where he had no business being. Kuroo shook his head, trying to rid himself of the feeling. He was not this bothered by open displays of affection, right?  
  
He could hear fragments of conversation. _“..been working so hard. You deserve a break.”_ Akaashi spoke too softly for Kuroo to hear his replies, but it did not take long for Bokuto to return to the couch and flop back down next to Kuroo with a grin.  
  
“Goodnight, Kuroo,” Akaashi said, giving him a tired wave as he disappeared into the bedroom.  
  
Kuroo looked at Bokuto when the door closed. “Is he going to be all right?”  
  
Though Bokuto chuckled, the underlying tension in his stiff shoulders betrayed he did not feel as light-hearted as he tried to make it seem. “Hopefully he’ll get a good night in. It’s a government project so the contract is pretty important. Keiji won’t let himself relax.”  
  
Bokuto started the movie again, and Kuroo wondered if that was his way of cutting off the conversation. Well, Kuroo didn’t think he should push the subject for now anyway, so they simply focused on their zombie sheep again.  
  
When the credits started rolling, Bokuto yawned loudly and stretched his arms. “Alright, the coach will be pissed if I stay up any later,” he said, and this time his laugh was genuine. Together they tidied up, with a brief interruption when Bokuto tested if he could chuck bits of popcorn into Kuroo’s hair and get them stuck in there.  
  
After they cleaned up their mess, Bokuto found a spare toothbrush for Kuroo somewhere. He gracefully accepted and took the alternative entrance to the bathroom, so he did not have to go through the master bedroom and risk disturbing anyone.  
  
Bokuto waited outside for him to be done. “Hey, tomorrow I’ll probably be gone before you wake up, but no worries, (Name) will be around the apartment. I'll leave a note so she also knows you've stayed over. Also, don't be surprised if Keiji is ready and waiting to kick out of the room.”  
  
Kuroo suppressed a big yawn. “Thanks, Bo, I owe you one.”  
  
He shook his head. “That’s what friends are for.” Bokuto patted Kuroo on the shoulder as he walked past him into the bathroom. “Goodnight, Kuroo.”  
  
The guest bedroom was sober with little more than a bed, nightstand, plus Akaashi’s drawing board with an ergonomic stool. A shelf with some non-fictional books related to work, a couple of pictures on the wall and an old poster, though none in eyesight for whoever sat at the drawing board. Kuroo glanced at the board, hoping to catch a peek at Akaashi’s current project. There was one design sketch, roughly outlining the plan for a park. Kuroo tried to read the notes, but Akaashi used shorthand for his annotations that made no sense to a layman. He tore himself away from the drawing and got ready to sleep.  
  
With a lack of sleeping clothes, he simply stripped down to his boxers and crawled into the bed. The strange environment and unfamiliar sounds made it heard to fall asleep, but the bed was comfortable and the sheets soft - and most importantly, there was no party going on upstairs.

* * *

What time was it?  
  
Groggily, Kuroo rubbed his eyes, then ran his hands through his hair, a wretched attempt at waking up. It was still dark outside. He blinked and wondered what had woken him up in the middle of the night. Ah wait, that’s what.  
  
He sighed and got up, hesitating for a moment before grabbing his shirt and putting it on.  
  
When he left the bedroom, he was grateful for his decision.  
  
Akaashi sat on the couch, his face illuminated by the only light in the room, coming from the TV. Squinting at the screen as he walked over, Kuroo saw a shark swimming at high speed and for one long, ridiculous moment, he thought Akaashi was watching one of the bad movies that Bokuto had picked out for today. Then the soft murmur of a man’s voice supplied some informative comments, and Kuroo realised it was a documentary.  
  
“You’re up late,” he said, and instantly felt lame for stating the obvious.  
  
“So are you,” Akaashi retorted.  
  
Yeah.  
  
Ignoring Akaashi for now, Kuroo visited the bathroom first. He sighed happily as he relieved himself, then washed his hands and returned to the living room. Glancing from Akaashi to the TV, Kuroo made up his mind and sat down in the comfy chair.  
  
Akaashi had his legs crossed and a blanket draped around his shoulders, wearing long pyjama pants and an old college shirt. He acknowledged Kuroo’s presence with a nod, but that was all.  
  
It was a little chilly in just his shorts and shirt, but not too cold. Kuroo turned on the standing lamp next to him, earning him a scowl from Akaashi, who blinked furiously at the sudden light.  
  
“Hey, no need to wreck our eyesight any more than we have to,” Kuroo said with a shrug.  
  
Why had he even sat down? He could really use the sleep, and Akaashi did not seem to particularly want the company. However, the concerned exchange between Bokuto and you still echoed through his head. Keeping half an eye on the documentary, Kuroo studied Akaashi. His hair was even more tousled, as though he had been turning in bed a lot. The bags under his eyes had not let up either and his shoulders were more slumped than Kuroo had ever seen them, as though it was too much effort to keep his usual proper posture.  
  
“Woah, that’s cool,” Kuroo muttered when a great white shark breached the water and snagged a seal, jumping almost three meters.  
  
Akaashi made a soft sound of agreement.  
  
After the narrator promised to explain more later about the various extra senses that sharks have, a commercial break started. With a sigh Akaashi closed his eyes, then slowly let his head fall forward. He reached for the remote and muted the sound.  
  
Silence fell in the room, one Kuroo did not feel entirely comfortable with. He glanced at Akaashi, who sat so still it almost seemed like he had fallen asleep. Despite a small voice in his head telling him it might be a bad idea, Kuroo spoke up. “So, do you do this more often?”  
  
Akaashi grunted and lifted his head to look at Kuroo. His expression betrayed nothing, his stare so penetrating that Kuroo started to regret his words.  
  
“It’s not the first time,” Akaashi finally answered after a long pause. He redirected his gaze to the TV screen, despite that the commercial break was still going on. Obviously, he preferred to drop the subject.  
  
Obviously, lack of sleep led Kuroo to making bad decisions.  
  
“Trouble sleeping?”  
  
The annoyance came off Akaashi in small waves. He groaned and gave Kuroo a flat look. “Not you, too.”  
  
Silence fell between them again.  
  
“Sorry,” Kuroo said, feeling sheepish. “None of my business.”  
  
Akaashi sighed and massaged the top of his head, mussing up his hair even further. It now rivalled Kuroo’s in terms of dishevelment. “No, I apologise. You were just concerned.” He hesitated. “Thank you for that.”  
  
He just looked so overwhelmingly tired.  
  
Kuroo wished there was more he could do. He remembered the way Bokuto had embraced Akaashi, giving him a short moment of relief and calm. But that was not something Kuroo could do, that would cross a line he couldn’t, not right now. So instead he sat quietly in the living room, occasionally commenting on the documentary and internally cheering when he made Akaashi smile with a bad joke (why did the shark cross the great barrier reef? To get to the other tide).  
  
Eventually the documentary ended and Kuroo yawned loudly.  
  
Akaashi gave him an amused look. “I’m going to try sleeping again,” he said, removing the blanket from his shoulders and folding it up neatly before putting it on the couch. “You should, too.”  
  
Kuroo nodded in agreement and stood up, stretching out his entire body.  
  
Quietly Akaashi went to his bedroom, but paused when he reached the door. “Thanks for the company,” he said with a smile, and for a short moment he did not look quite so exhausted.  
  
“No problem,” Kuroo said, not trusting himself to say more. He turned off the light and slowly shuffled towards the guest bedroom in the dark.  
  
This time he was so tired that he had no problems whatsoever with falling asleep.  
  
An undetermined amount of time later he opened his eyes to the sound of his phone's alarm. Daylight tried to get through the curtains and Kuroo could hear soft sounds of daily life beyond the walls of the bedroom. He slowly got dressed and yawned as he walked through the door. With the exception of a radio playing, the apartment was mostly quiet. You sat on a stool at the breakfast table, one of those high bar tables. Your feet swung lightly above the ground while you nursed a huge mug of tea and read a book.  
  
You looked up when Kuroo walked over, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Good morning. I think there’s still some coffee if you want. Cups are in the middle cabinet.” You gestured to the counter, where Kuroo spotted the coffee maker.  
  
“Thanks. Bokuto already left?”  
  
Putting in a slip of paper at your current page, you closed the book and leaned with your elbows on the table. “Yep. You didn’t keep him up too late, did you?” You grinned at him and rested your cheek in your hand.  
  
Kuroo chuckled while he rummaged for a cup. “Hey, he was the one who wanted to watch another movie. I’m completely innocent.”  
  
His last words made you snort. “Somehow I have a hard time believing that.” Your eyes locked onto him, lips drawn into a lazy grin. Kuroo realised he was forced to look away so he pretended to be struggling with the coffee maker.  
  
“Hey, where is Akaashi? Bokuto made it sound like he’d be lying in an ambush, waiting for me to get my ass out of bed.”  
  
You laughed out loud. It was a pleasant, clear sound; you always laughed without shame, not holding back any of your amusement. Then you shook your head and smiled. “I won’t lie, he was pretty annoyed that he couldn’t get to work straight away. Got sick of waiting and went out for a morning run.”  
  
Ah good, the coffee was still hot. Kuroo took a sip and sat opposite of you. You traced your fingers over the edge of your mug and glanced at him.  
  
“So, were Keiji’s sharks more interesting than Kou’s to keep you up so late?”  
  
Kuroo grinned, but somehow felt a little like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Oh, he told you about that?” He clasped his chin between index finger and thumb, and pretended to give the matter some serious thought. “I don’t know about more interesting, but Akaashi’s definitely taught me that snow sharks are highly unrealistic and have no scientific basis in real life whatsoever. A shame, really.”  
  
Another laugh, clear like a bell. Then your expression changed into something more serious, a little sad, a little wistful. “But seriously, Tetsurou-kun, thank you for keeping him company. I think he really appreciated it.”  
  
He shook his head and drank some more of his coffee. It was strong and woke him up fast. “It wasn’t any trouble, don’t mention it.” There was a moment of hesitation, where Kuroo wondering if he'd overstep his bounds again if he asked more. In the end he decided that there was nothing wrong with showing simple concern for a friend. “Does he have a lot of problems with sleeping?”  
  
Though Bokuto had occasionally mentioned it in passing, Kuroo never witnessed first-hand just how exhausted Akaashi could look.  
  
You stared at your mug for a second, scratching a nail against a small chip on the edge. For a second Kuroo feared he had made the wrong choice. “It comes and goes. Most of the time he’s fine, but when he has a big project like this...”  
  
Silence fell. Kuroo looked for words to somehow fix the situation, to make things better, but all fell short. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it turns around again soon.”  
  
The words felt feeble, platitudes with little meaning, but they still made you smile. “Thanks. Hmm, by the way, do you want something to eat? You can also take a shower if you want to.”  
  
Kuroo recognised a forceful change of subject when he heard one. “Nah, thank you, I’ll do that at home. I should probably go soon.”  
  
“Hey, don’t feel like you have to leave on my account. I like having you around.” That teasing grin again. Kuroo was not exactly used to being on the receiving end of those, but with you he did not mind.  
  
“Can’t get enough of me, huh,” he chuckled. “But seriously, I agreed to go into town with Kenma today, can’t stay too long.”  
  
“Fair enough.” You nodded slowly and fingered at the chip in your mug again. Upon closer inspection, Kuroo noticed a fracture line that went almost all the way to the bottom. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Kuroo took a long drink from his coffee and you waited for him to put the cup back on the table. It occurred to him that you had looked the same way last week, just before you kissed him that first time. Some of that usual bluster and confidence had dissipated again, and fragility took their place.  
  
Then you ran your fingers through your hair and by the time you put your hand back on the over-sized mug, you looked resolute. “Do you still mean what you said last week? That you would have a foursome with us again?”  
  
Suddenly, Kuroo was very grateful that you had waited until he wasn’t drinking coffee any more. The resulting spit-take would have been horrifying. Now he just had to deal with the crimson blush that overtook his face and staring at you wide-eyed, mouth slightly hanging open.  
  
Yeah, that was much better.  
  
“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” you apologised, and started to reach out to touch his arm. Midway you decided against it and dropped your hand on the table. “Look, I just wanted to make sure you didn’t say anything that you regret now? I know as well as anyone that people say impulsive stuff in the heat of the moment.”  
  
Kuroo shook his head, partly covering his face with one hand while the other gripped his coffee cup tightly, trying to recover some semblance of composure and dignity. This was the first time anyone even acknowledged what happened between them, and Kuroo had not exactly expected you to drop the subject on him with such frankness during a quiet morning conversation.  
  
“Sorry, I’m too blunt,” you said, grimacing at Kuroo. “Keiji says I’m even worse than Kou.”  
  
“No kidding,” Kuroo said, almost choking on his words. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”  
  
You stared at each other, and slowly Kuroo’s shoulders started to shake with silent laughter. Your lips pulled into a wide smile, then Kuroo and you simultaneously burst out laughing. Honestly, Kuroo wasn’t even sure if anything about this was particularly funny - but there was tension in the air and it needed to be released somehow. Right now, this was the only way he knew how.  
  
He laughed until his stomach hurt, then the sound died down as both of you calmed down.  
  
Rubbing the back of your head, you looked away from him with a faint blush on your face. “But uhm, I’d still like to know the answer. If it’s okay?”  
  
“I don’t take back anything I said that night.”  
  
Was he making a mistake? For a moment his thoughts flickered to those feelings of being an outsider amongst friends. It might go away if he stopped this. But he wanted to - _god_ he wanted to do this again. If he wanted it so badly, it could not be a bad idea, right? Right.  
  
And so Kuroo carefully hid his doubts behind a languid smirk, awaiting your reaction.  
  
You did not disappoint. With his confirmation, your confidence returned and you grinned at him. “So, want to set a date?”  
  
Kuroo was better prepared for your blunt remark this time and just chuckled. “So eager.” Considering the mess you had just turned him into, it was quite satisfying to watch you try to hide your fluster, clearing your throat. “Let’s do it.”  
  
Would it come off as desperate to point out he was free this very evening? Yes, probably. Kuroo kept his mouth shut about that.  
  
“How about next weekend?” you said. Kuroo was about to respond when you shook your head, lips pursed. “No, sorry, I just remembered. Guys’ night out, right?”  
  
“Yep. The week after that?”  
  
“Ugh, Kou has a practise match then. I’m not sure how we’d fit this in.”  
  
Kuroo wanted to suggest a new date when they heard the jingle of keys at the door. The conversation fell silent as you and Kuroo watched Akaashi come in. To Kuroo’s relief, Akaashi actually looked a lot better than last night. Sweaty and out of breath, but well awake. Hopefully that meant he had slept a couple of hours after the documentary.  
  
“Welcome home,” you said.  
  
Akaashi took off his running shoes and walked up to you, pressing a breathless kiss to your cheek. “Got any more coffee?”  
  
You shot a questioning look at Kuroo.  
  
“There should still be a little,” he said.  
  
“Good.”  
  
While Akaashi got his coffee, you turned back to Kuroo. “I’m going to need my agenda for this.” You took out your phone. “Okay, so where did we leave off? Three weeks from now? Ugh, this isn’t going anywhere. I know last time we said weekdays were a bad idea with work and all but...”  
  
Kuroo glanced at Akaashi, who listened to the conversation with interest. He carefully watched you, then Kuroo, mind processing what was being discussed. As always, Akaashi was quick on the uptake.  
  
“You’re busy tonight, Kuroo?” he asked, then joined you at the table with a half-full cup of coffee.  
  
You blinked at Akaashi. “I kind of assumed you’d want to work.”  
  
“Aren’t you the one who said I needed break?”  
  
An amused sigh escaped you. “So I did.” The attention shifted back to Kuroo. “So, how about it? Are you busy tonight?”  
  
Kuroo could not resist sending a toothy grin Akaashi’s way. “Obviously, yes.”  
  
Though Akaashi gave no reaction whatsoever, you bit your lip, corners of your mouth edging upwards. Akaashi studied the book you had been reading instead, chuckling as he read the title.  
  
“Why are you reading this? I thought the symposium was boring?”  
  
“Only the speakers!” you protested, pulling the book away from Akaashi. “The subject matter is really interesting!”  
  
Just like that, the topic changed. Kuroo could feel his stomach clench a little at how casual the shift happened. Then he shook his head. This was good. Like what had been discussed was no big deal - because it wasn’t.  
  
You had launched into an animated explanation of the benefits of aquatic therapy being used in conjunction with regular physical therapy, but stopped yourself when you remembered Kuroo was there. “Ah sorry, I won’t bore you with work talk! You had to leave soon, right?”  
  
“Hey, don’t worry. This stuff is interesting. Besides,” - he checked the clock on the oven - “I still got time. Enough to finish my coffee, at least.” He grinned at you and drank some more.  
  
Though you smiled back, you did not continue talking about work-related things. Instead you stared down at your mug again, finger tracing the long fracture on the side. You let out a small noise of frustration. “Look at that, Keiji. I wonder how long it’s going to last.”  
  
He smiled and put his hand over yours. “You do realise we have ten others in the cabinet?”  
  
You pouted. “Yeah, but I love this one.”  
  
“That's just because you get to say you only drank ‘one cup of coffee’ when you had enough to count for two.”  
  
“Well, if that’s not a good reason to love something then I don’t know any more! Come on, Tetsurou-kun, back me up on this.”  
  
Kuroo laughed and held up his hands. “Nope, I’m not getting involved in a lovers’ quarrel.”  
  
You whined at him, but Kuroo stood his ground. When you realised the futility of protesting, you shifted tactics by changing the subject, asking Akaashi about dinner for tonight. After a short food-related discussion, Kuroo finished his coffee and said goodbye. His ears heated up a little when you grinned and said, “See you tonight,” but refused to let it fluster him, mirroring your grin back to you.  
  
When the door closed behind him, he took a deep breath to clear his thoughts. First meeting with Kenma. Then the rest would follow. One thing at the time.

* * *

  
You frowned once Kuroo left and leaned into Akaashi, not in the least bothered by his sweaty clothes and skin. “Hey.”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
Chewing on your lip, you stared at the front door. “Do you think we’ve made a mistake?”  
  
From the corner of your eye you could see him turn his head to study you. After a short pause he answered you with another question. “About what?”  
  
You gestured vaguely with your hands and sat back upright. “You know, asking Tetsurou for this.” You sighed and ran a hand through your hair. “I’m starting to get the feeling he’s in over his head? Maybe it wasn’t a good idea.”  
  
Akaashi considered your words for a moment, then shook his head. “I think it’ll be fine. Kuroo is a clever guy, he won’t get himself in deeper than he can handle. He just needs some time to figure it out.” He pulled you close and rubbed his nose against the top of your head, taking in your scent. “Just like you did.”  
  
Slowly you pulled away from him. “’Just like I did’? Akaashi Keiji, just what are you insinuating?” you said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t play coy, I know you like him just as much as we do.”  
  
You were tempted to do just that, an innocent protest ready on your lips. Perhaps Akaashi sensed your intention, because he tipped your chin forward to pull you in a kiss. He faintly tasted of salt and you sighed into him, tangling your hands in his hair. You traced your tongue against his lips but he denied you access, keeping the kiss chaste and light.  
  
Much too soon, he broke away. “Let’s save the rest for tonight, alright?” he said, leaning his forehead against yours. “I’m going to take a shower.”  
  
You scowled as he walked away. “You’re such a damned tease,” you called after him.  
  
He looked back with such a smug expression that you kind of wanted to slap his face and kiss it again. “Patience is a virtue.”  
  
“Like there’s anything virtuous about what’s going to happen tonight!”  
  
Akaashi ignored you and disappeared into the bathroom. Your scowl deepened, but you shook your head and thought about tonight instead. Tonight. Slowly your disgruntled expression morphed into one of anticipation. Nothing virtuous, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone interested, the movies Kuroo and Bokuto watched were Snow Sharks (yes the title is that obvious) and Black Sheep.
> 
> Stay tuned for more!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started on this part, I didn't anticipate it to be as Akaashi-centric as it turned out? But I have no regrets, hope you enjoy, too ;3 Thank you for sticking with me!

“Kuro, you have been distracted all day.”  
  
Kenma’s flat voice carried no accusation, it was merely an observation. Still, Kuroo felt compelled to apologise. “Sorry, Kenma, I haven’t been good company.”  
  
He shrugged. “It’s no bother, you’ve been much worse than this.”  
  
Kuroo chuckled and looked at the shelves around him, filled with games and various merchandise. He poked at a figurine of some sword-wielding chick with too little armour to serve as proper protection, while Kenma walked up to the counter.  
  
“Picking up an order for Kozume,” he said, not making eye-contact with the employee.  
  
Five minutes later they left the game store, Kenma tightly clutching his shiny new purchase, an excited spark in his eyes that he reserved solely for video games. Kuroo grinned, wondering how long it would take Kenma to whip out his console and start playing.  
  
“Got anywhere else you want to go?” Kuroo asked, but Kenma just shook his head. “Eh, let’s just go back to your place then, hang out there.”  
  
Together they walked back to the bus station, and Kenma did not even take five minutes before he ripped off the packaging from the game, then reached into his bag and got out his console.  
  
Kuroo watched him with an amused smirk. “At least wait until you can sit down somewhere, Kenma,” he chuckled while Kenma started up the game. “You’re going to bump into stuff.”  
  
Kenma made a soft huffing sound. “There is no problem if you watch where we’re going, right?”  
  
Sighing loudly, Kuroo ran a hand through his hair. However, he knew Kenma had him figured out. Kuroo kept half an eye on Kenma’s progress, constantly asking questions about what was going on until Kenma twitched a little in annoyance, and the rest of his attention focused on his surroundings and making sure they were going the right way without any accidents.  
  
It went well until they passed a kitchen supply store and Kuroo’s eye was caught by something in the window display. He stopped and scratched his cheek, staring at the array of cups on display. Unaware of his friend’s distraction, Kenma kept walking and didn’t take two steps before he bumped into someone before him. After muttering a soft apology to the stranger, he scowled at Kuroo but then joined him in front of the store window. “Do you need something from here?”  
  
“Yeah,” Kuroo said slowly. “I was thinking of getting one of those for (Name). As a thank you. She really saved me yesterday.”  
  
Kenma frowned. Kuroo could see him trying to connect the pieces, brain busy with information processing and interpreting. He did not wait for Kenma to figure it out and quickly entered the store. Slower, Kenma followed him and wandered around, waiting for Kuroo to be done without comment.  
  
There was not a lot of choice but Kuroo tried to anticipate which one you’d like best. In the end he picked one with large polka dots. Soon they stood outside again, Kuroo carrying a small paper bag, Kenma looking up at him.  
  
“Kuro, you have been acting off all day. Is something going on?”  
  
He frowned. Was the prospect of tonight making him behave differently? Kuroo thought he was being pretty cool about all this, but then again, he knew damned well how perceptive Kenma was when it came to people. For a moment he considered whether he should tell Kenma about what he had been up to, then decided against it. Kenma did not need - or want - to hear about this kind of thing.  
  
“Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.”  
  
Kenma’s eyes narrowed, seeing straight through the lie. Then he shrugged. “Okay.” He sighed and returned his attention to the game. “You can talk to me about it when you need to.”  
  
They reached the bus stop and Kenma immediately sat down on an empty waiting space, eyes never leaving his game.  
  
Mulling over Kenma’s words, Kuroo rubbed the back of his head, lost in thought. Kenma definitely was not one to say things like that light-heartedly, but Kuroo didn’t feel like the situation required that kind of reaction. It’s not like something was wrong, right?  
  
The bus arrived and they got on quietly. There was only one free spot so Kuroo made Kenma sit down, since he could easily reach for the straps himself. Kenma happily used this chance to direct all his focus on his video game. Kuroo stood over him in silence, bracing himself when the bus started moving. He watched the outside world pass by, until Kenma tsked audibly and pouted at his console.  
  
Grinning, Kuroo looked down at him and saw a GAME OVER plastered on the screen. “Oh-ho? Is it too difficult for you, Kenma?”  
  
Kenma glanced up at him with a scowl. “Kuro, I only started playing twenty minutes ago.” A long pause. “And it’s not too difficult.”  
  
“Sure, if you say so,” Kuroo said, a slight drawl to his speech.  
  
“Please stop provoking me.”  
  
“Wha~at? I was just agreeing with you! Or is the game too hard to play if I’m talking to you?”  
  
“Feh.”

* * *

  
This time you were the one to open the door. You wore a light sundress and a radiant smile. “Tetsurou-kun! Come on in,” you said, waving a hand. Your eye fell on the small paper bag in his hands. “What's that?”  
  
Kuroo rubbed the back of his head and tried not to look embarrassed.  
  
This was stupid.  
  
People did not bring gifts for girls they were about to have casual sex with. But the deed was done, he held the bag, there was no turning back now. “Just a little something as a thank you for the massage yesterday,” he said, handing you the bag. “Sorry it’s not wrapped.”  
  
Because _of course_ Kuroo realised the moment he got home that he did not have any wrapping paper whatsoever. You were not bothered in the least, laughing when you took out the mug. “That’s so sweet, you shouldn’t have!”  
  
You pulled him in for a quick hug then almost bounced to the kitchen, holding up the mug for Bokuto and Akaashi to see. Bokuto immediately jumped up from the couch to come check it out, while Akaashi stared at Kuroo with an indecipherable look. Then his expression slowly transformed into a smile, making Kuroo feel strangely exposed.  
  
After taking off his coat and shoes, Kuroo followed you into the kitchen area. He clasped hands with Bokuto and they grinned at each other.  
  
“Hey, are you trying to make me look bad?” Bokuto asked, pointing his thumb at your elated state.  
  
You rummaged in a cabinet, getting out your old, fractured mug and triumphantly holding them next to each other. “I knew it! It’s even bigger than my old one!”  
  
Kuroo couldn’t help his toothy grin. “Bo, it’s not my fault if you neglect your girlfriend.”  
  
Shaking your head, you set down both mugs and gave Bokuto a quick peck on the cheek. “It’s not a competition, boys.” You put a finger on your bottom lip and thought for a second. “But a little more appreciation for my hard work would be nice.” You grinned and kissed him a second time to take the sting out of your words.  
  
Bokuto sighed ruefully and turned to Akaashi, who had gotten up from the couch to join the others. “Do you hear that, Keiji? They’re always putting me down. Such disrespect.”  
  
“It’s not disrespect when they’re right, Koutarou.”  
  
Kuroo chuckled at Bokuto’s outraged yelp, but then silence settled between everyone and something heavy filled the air. Not uncomfortable, just as though everyone had suddenly remembered why they were here. Bokuto put an arm around you, his thumb tracing circles on your bare shoulder while he became increasingly fidgety. You leaned into him, studying Akaashi with a thoughtful look in your eyes. Your tongue darted out to wet your lips, but it seemed to be a reflexive action, not one meant to seduce or excite.  
  
“I kind of want to spoil you tonight, Keiji,” you said, breaking away from Bokuto and moving over to Akaashi. Your dress swished as you walked, drawing attention to your legs. With a coy smile you put your arms around Akaashi’s shoulders. “I feel like you didn’t get enough attention last time.”  
  
Akaashi put his hands on your waist and hummed. “Hmm? Aren’t you just disappointed that I didn’t fuck you that night?”  
  
You laughed softly but did not rise to his taunt. “See, you’re doing it again, deflecting the attention away from you.” Closing the final gap between you, your hips pressed a little tighter against his. “I think you deserve to be looked after.”  
  
“Little minx,” he murmured, softly brushing against your jaw with the back of his hand. “Aren’t you forgetting I’m not the only one here?”  
  
You looked behind you. Bokuto was using all his self-control to stay where he was, biting his lip and swaying lightly on his feet. Kuroo’s eyes went from you to Akaashi. Though he looked better than last night, there was still a hint of dark circles under Akaashi’s eyes. Kuroo remembered how Akaashi had looked coming back home, wrecked by work and lack of sleep. And in that moment, Kuroo wanted to do nothing more than to make Akaashi feel good.  
  
“I have no problem with that,” he said, making sure to have direct eye-contact with Akaashi as he spoke, “whatsoever.”  
  
His words seemed to snap Bokuto into action, grabbing Akaashi’s arm and dragging him towards the bedroom. You blinked as Akaashi was torn away from you, then grinned at Bokuto’s enthusiasm.  
  
“We better join them quickly,” you said, walking up to Kuroo, “or they might be done already before we get in there.” You traced a finger over his chest and licked your lips - and this time, you definitely had the intent of exciting him.  
  
“Let’s go then,” he replied, his voice gruff. Kuroo took your hand and led you to the bedroom with only slightly more self-control than Bokuto.  
  
Inside, Bokuto proved that your words had only been half a joke.  
  
Chest pressed to Akaashi’s back, Bokuto was draped over him, pulling at buttons and sleeves, trying to get him out of his clothes as fast as possible. A hand had crept under Akaashi’s shirt while the other tugged at the collar, exposing skin for Bokuto to press hungry kisses to. Already his hips were rocking into Akaashi’s, and the younger man breathed heavily, leaning back against Bokuto.  
  
Next to him, Kuroo could hear your shallow breathing. Your eyes were fixated on your partners, mesmerised by the sight in front of you. Kuroo could not resist leaning down to press an open-mouthed kiss against your neck, and your eyes fluttered shut with a gasp until he pulled away. After only a moment of hesitation, Kuroo stepped forward and joined the two other men. He nudged Bokuto away for a second to properly take off Akaashi’s shirt. His hands ran over Akaashi’s sides in the process, and he delighted in the resulting shiver.  
  
Despite his initial hesitance, it seemed Akaashi had surrendered himself to the wish of his partners.  
  
Kuroo kissed him, hard. He pushed his tongue inside and explored greedily, gliding over teeth and the roof of Akaashi’s mouth. Their tongues entangled, but Kuroo never gave him a chance to gain dominance. Akaashi let out a small moan, and the sound went straight to Kuroo’s crotch.  
  
He broke the kiss, grinning down at Akaashi. With swollen lips, dishevelled hair and flushed cheeks, the younger man truly was a sight to see. Bokuto had his face hidden in side of Akaashi’s neck, still grinding steadily, so Kuroo leaned down to nibble on the other side.  
  
Though you had walked closer to the trio, you were still only watching, lips slightly parted. Akaashi tangled a hand in both Kuroo and Bokuto’s hair, and licked his lips when he saw you.  
  
“So timid, (Name). Weren’t you the one who wanted to spoil me tonight?”  
  
Playing with the strap of your dress, you took another step forward, almost close enough to touch. You smiled coyly. “I’ll do whatever you want, Keiji.” You reached out a hand to brush against his face, thumb tracing his cheekbone. “So, what do you want me to do?”  
  
Akaashi inhaled sharply when Bokuto’s hand reached down to palm the growing bulge in his pants. Kuroo choose that moment to suck hard just underneath his ear, and Akaashi’s breath stuttered.  
  
You bit your lip and retreated your hand. “What do you need, Keiji?”  
  
“Take that dress off first.”  
  
Kuroo couldn’t help it, he glanced back to see you put your hands on your chest and slowly rub them down your body, until they reached the edge of your dress. In one smooth movement, you pulled the dress over your head.  
  
When he saw you wore nothing underneath, Kuroo groaned and jerked his hips against Akaashi’s. He reached down to undo the younger man’s pants, tugging impatiently.  
  
Akaashi kept his eyes on you, trying to keep his expressions under control - but his winded breathing betrayed him. The corners of his mouth quirked up when he saw you stare at the scene in fascination, eyes flitting from Bokuto’s teeth grazing Akaashi’s skin, to Kuroo’s hands undressing him, to the steady rocking of hips.  
  
“Hmm, aren’t you enjoying yourself a little too much for someone who is just watching?” Akaashi said, straining to keep his voice even. Despite all the attention lavished on him, he managed to retain an insane amount of self-control.  
  
Your hands had returned to your body, one slowly tracing the edge of your hip, while the other travelled upwards, sliding over your bellybutton to your breast. A shiver ran through you when Kuroo gently bit Akaashi’s earlobe. “You don’t like it?” you said, voice sultry and fingers hovering just above your lower lips.  
  
His eyes darkened, lips curling into a lazy smirk. But before he could answer you, Bokuto made an eager noise and tipped back Akaashi’s head to crash their lips together. A short battle of tongues, then Bokuto broke away. “Let’s just move to the bed already,” he whined, fingers twitching over Akaashi’s body.  
  
Slightly dazed, Akaashi nodded. He let himself be guided towards the bed by the two older men, who undressed him and themselves with frantic haste. When you moved to join them, Akaashi stopped you with a gesture of his hand.  
  
“You like to watch, don’t you?” he said, cracks starting to show in his voice when Bokuto leaned down to take a nipple in his mouth. Akaashi moaned breathlessly, then pulled himself back together and looked at you with a hooded gaze. “Sit down, (Name).”  
  
He motioned towards the chair, and smirked when you pouted, ready to protest.  
  
“Anything I wanted, right?”  
  
You shot him a quick glare, but then walked to the chair, adding a little extra sway to your hips on purpose. Your eyes burned into the scene before you.  
  
Bokuto had manoeuvred Akaashi onto the bed on his knees, in a position that ensured you could see their hips pressed against each other from the side. A large towel had already been laid down in advance. Kuroo followed slightly slower, approaching Akaashi from the front. His breathing had become shallow, cock half-hard. Before him, Akaashi stood at full attention. Kuroo wrapped his hand around Akaashi’s length and caught him in a slow, teasing kiss.  
  
Shuddering, Akaashi jerked his hips forward while Kuroo pulled at his bottom lip with his teeth. Kuroo heard you moan softly, and when he glanced to the side he saw you with your legs spread open, drawing lazy circles around your clit. He tore his gaze away from you and his lips moved harder against Akaashi’s, grabbing the back of his head to mould them together. His other hand slowly pumped Akaashi, taking care to not get him too close too early. If you enjoyed a show that much, he would make sure to give you one.  
  
Behind Akaashi, Bokuto had gotten his hands on a small bottle of lube, and the slick sound of him coating his fingers filled the room. Akaashi moaned into Kuroo’s mouth, holding tightly onto his shoulders. When Bokuto pushed a finger inside, Akaashi broke the kiss with a gasp. Wide-eyed and mouth slack, it was the most unguarded Kuroo had ever seen the younger man.  
  
He looked beautiful.  
  
Bokuto’s other hand was on Akaashi’s hip, mouth nipping his neck. Akaashi let his head fall forward on Kuroo’s shoulder, breath fanning heavily over skin. Soft moans escaped him, but when Bokuto added another finger he hissed sharply, digging his nails into Kuroo.  
  
Kuroo could not stop himself from staring at Akaashi and the little tremors that travelled through his body, until a whimpering sound from the side caught Kuroo’s attention.  
  
Matching pace with Bokuto, you had inserted two fingers and thrust slowly. Your other hand teased your breast, gently stroking a nipple. The sight of you pleasuring yourself was absolutely dirty, yet at the same time there was something fragile about you, like you would break if Kuroo stared for too long.  
  
He winced when Akaashi bit at his collarbone, then realised his hand had stopped moving. With a smirk he continued his slow pumps, his other hand tangling in Akaashi’s hair. “Getting impatient?”  
  
Akaashi let out a muffled groan of frustration, the loudest noise he had made so far. He released Kuroo’s skin and glanced backwards at Bokuto, who was taking things surprisingly slow, considering his earlier impatience. “Aren’t you going to fuck me already?” Akaashi’s voice was sharp, almost a demand, but Bokuto just chuckled.  
  
“First I’m going to make you feel good,” he said, leaning in close to Akaashi’s ear. He nibbled at the shell. “Maybe then I’ll fuck you. Maybe I’ll tease you some more. One thing’s for sure; you won’t be able to stand after we’re done with you.”  
  
The words prompted Kuroo to groan and slowly trace his lips down Akaashi’s chest. For a moment he latched his mouth onto a nipple, but quickly continued down until his tongue swept over Akaashi’s tense abdominal muscles. Akaashi’s hands sought purchase in Kuroo’s hair, but he could not tell whether Akaashi tried to push his head down or keep himself upright.  
  
His tongue dipped briefly in the bellybutton, then Kuroo closed his lips over the head of Akaashi’s cock and sucked lightly. Akaashi’s hips jerked and Bokuto decided this was the moment to thrust his fingers deeper and start searching for that sweet spot.  
  
Though Akaashi tried to rock his hips in time with Bokuto’s fingers, Kuroo kept him into place with a firm grip on his waist. Kuroo took his time, teasing just the tip to drag out the build-up. Akaashi shuddered against him and fisted his hair tightly when Bokuto located the prostate and stroked against it insistently.  
  
Your soft moans turned into breathless panting, and Akaashi watched you with a heated gaze. Your fingers pumped fast now, still matching Bokuto’s, while your other hand brushed against your clit. Back arched and hips shaking, you were close, so very close.  
  
“So pretty,” Akaashi breathed out, then sighed your name. “Wait for me.” His voice broke when Kuroo’s lips slipped a little further over him. The fingers in Kuroo’s hair trembled and Akaashi was slowly becoming undone, that rigid self-control threatening to snap.  
  
Bokuto applied more lube and pushed a third finger inside, causing Akaashi to cry out and bend forward, his forehead brushing against Kuroo’s hair. “You’re very close, aren’t you, Keiji?” Bokuto murmured, rubbing a hand over Akaashi’s back. He nodded jerkily, snapping his hips back into Bokuto’s fingers.  
  
Also adding an extra finger, you whimpered and bit your lip so hard you almost drew blood. Your moans send a twitch down Kuroo’s cock, and he hummed against Akaashi.  
  
Akaashi’s body shook from the onslaught of sensations and he whimpered loudly when Bokuto curled his fingers just right. “I’m- I’m going-” he tried to warn, and Kuroo lowered his mouth over Akaashi’s length as far as he could take him.  
  
Trembling between them, Akaashi came with a loud moan. Kuroo swallowed as much as he could, though some cum dribbled over his chin. You cried out a moment later, hips lifting out of the chair as your orgasm hit you. Then you slumped back, breathing heavily while you looked at the trio on the bed with a lazy smile.  
  
Gently, Bokuto removed his fingers, pressing kisses against Akaashi’s back. Kuroo released Akaashi from his lips and sat back upright, wiping his mouth. Akaashi’s hands relaxed and fell to his sides, but he still panted hard.  
  
Though you were a little shaky, you stood up from the chair and joined them on the bed. You sat on your knees next to Kuroo, drawing up Akaashi for a kiss. You moved your lips slowly, tongues gliding against each other at a languid pace. “So good,” you purred when you broke away for a second, then kissed him again. He sighed against your mouth and put his hands on your sides, gently caressing your stomach with his thumbs.  
  
Bokuto rubbed up against Akaashi’s back, one hand on the younger man’s hip, the other reaching over to your shoulder. He smirked at Kuroo in satisfaction, obviously proud of a job well-done. Kuroo mirrored his expression then nuzzled your neck, hands massaging your waist. He pressed his cock against your lower back, precum already escaping from the tip.  
  
He could hear the soft sounds of Akaashi and you kissing, the former’s breathing stabilising.  
  
A short moment of calm, then Akaashi pulled away and turned his head to press his lips against Bokuto’s cheek. “Koutarou...” The name almost came out as a command, but there was a desperate edge laced underneath.  
  
“I know, I know,” Bokuto murmured, reaching back on the nightstand for a condom. “I can’t wait any more, Keiji.”  
  
“You don’t have to,” Akaashi said, pushing his hips back against Bokuto’s.  
  
He shuddered when you lightly tracked your nails over his chest, kissing just underneath his jawline. Your hand trailed lower, then wrapped around his half-hard cock. The shaft was still slick with Kuroo’s saliva, and a couple of deliberate strokes were enough to make him fully erect again.  
  
Kuroo’s breath hitched at the sight. By now he was painfully hard and he had no idea how much longer he’d be able to hold out. His head was clouded with arousal and he needed relief. When he called your name, it came out as a low growl. He grabbed onto your hips a little tighter and rocked against you.  
  
Your eyes widened and you tilted up your head, leaning against Kuroo’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I’ve been neglecting you,” you murmured into his neck, then bit down softly. “How can I make it up?”  
  
The roll of his hips against your backside was enough of an answer. Bokuto grabbed a second condom and passed it along to Kuroo. He had already put on his own and nipped at Akaashi’s neck, anxious to finally enter him.  
  
Kuroo wasted no time sliding on the foil and pressed even closer to you, lavishing your shoulder with kisses. You turned your head and his lips found your mouth, tongue pushing in with borderline desperation. You whined against him and rocked your hips backwards, inviting him inside. Meanwhile, Bokuto hissed loudly as he finally entered Akaashi, who groaned and let his mouth fall slack.  
  
One of Kuroo’s hands held your hip, the other guided his cock inside you. You gasped against his mouth, fingers reaching back to tug at his hair. His breathing was ragged, and Kuroo tried to pace himself so he would last.  
  
Bokuto did not consider such things and thrust hard into Akaashi. The younger man clasped at your shoulders, his cock rubbing against your stomach with every thrust.  
  
Hot and clenching, your slick walls felt so good around Kuroo that it threatened to overwhelm him. He steadied his breathing, then slowly rolled his hips into yours. You broke away from the kiss and clenched your fingers tighter into his hair. “Tetsu...” His name blended with a moan.  
  
Oh god, it sounded so good like that.  
  
“Please, Tetsu, faster,” you whined. Your free hand reached down to touch your clit, brushing against Akaashi’s cock.  
  
Kuroo growled and could feel something snap inside. Roughly he yanked your hand away and replaced it with his own, then slammed forward into you with a sharp thrust. This time his name more closely resembled a scream. Akaashi muffled your and his own moans by smashing your mouths together in a sloppy kiss. Still, it could not entirely stifle the sounds coming from both. You reached down to run your thumb over the tip of Akaashi’s cock, and he jerked his hips into your touch.  
  
Bokuto grit his teeth and angled for a particular spot, and with two thrusts against his prostate Akaashi came again, cum spilling into your hand. He let his head fall forward against your shoulder, raspy breath fanning on your skin.  
  
Not about to be outdone, Kuroo rolled your clit between his fingers and grinded hard into you. By now he and Bokuto almost matched pace, but in the end it was Kuroo who came first with a strangled curse. Still he did not intend to easy up on you, fingers rubbing through your slick folds while he thumbed at your nub. You shuddered against him and your breathing became high-pitched and ragged. Kuroo rubbed his nose against your neck and then bit down, a little harder than intended.  
  
Bokuto and you came almost simultaneously. You arched your back, mouth open with a silent cry on your lips. On the other hand, Bokuto was loud, spilling out both curses and praises, kissing Akaashi everywhere he could reach. He pulled out and fell back against the headboard of the bed, a satisfied but tired smirk on his face.  
  
Akaashi breathed heavily, looking slightly stunned. He jolted when you touched his cheek, then closed his eyes and leaned into your hand. Sweaty hair stuck to his face and you brushed it aside to kiss his forehead.  
  
“What do you need, Keiji?” you murmured softly, stroking his cheek.  
  
He opened his eyes and smiled gratefully. “Tea would be nice.”  
  
“On it.” You turned your attention to Kuroo, who was still draped over you. “Hey, are you okay?”  
  
With a deep breath, Kuroo broke away from you and sat back. He nodded and tried to give you a toothy grin, but every muscle in his body was exhausted.  
  
“Water?”  
  
Another nod.  
  
In one smooth motion you slid off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Kuroo’s eyes followed the sway of your hips instinctively, then he sighed and looked away. His gaze fell on an old hoodie resting on the back of the chair you occupied earlier. A familiar hoodie. He moved to the edge of the bed, testing his weight on his feet. When he felt confident he could stand, Kuroo got up and picked up the garment. Akaashi watched him with a raised eyebrow, but smiled when he realised what Kuroo was doing.  
  
You returned from the bathroom with two glasses and blinked in surprise when you saw Kuroo holding your hoodie.  
  
Suddenly feeling awkward, Kuroo rubbed the back of his head. “Is it okay?” he asked, searching for a sign that he was doing the right thing.  
  
A smile softened your features and you put down the glasses on the nightstand so Kuroo could help you into the hoodie. You pulled up the zipper to your chin and sighed happily. “Thank you.”  
  
You gestured towards the water, inviting him to take a glass. From a drawer you got a pair of panties and put them on, then leaned over the bed to press a kiss on Bokuto’s lips. You whispered something to him Kuroo could barely make out, though he heard Akaashi’s name.  
  
It made Bokuto laugh out loud. “I will, don’t worry!” he said, pushing you away. Then you took your own glass and went to the kitchen. When you passed by Kuroo, you softly touched his arm and smiled.  
  
The warmth of your touch lingered.  
  
Kuroo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He watched how Bokuto sat upright and pulled Akaashi against his chest, rubbing soothing circles on his partner’s leg. Akaashi let out a content hum and closed his eyes, head resting on Bokuto’s broad shoulder.  
  
Yet again, Kuroo could feel that empty sensation of being out of place, so he put on his boxers and shirt, took his glass and followed you into the kitchen.  
  
You had just gotten out a teabag and turned on the water boiler when Kuroo joined you. He leaned against the counter, slowly drinking his water. Silence fell in the kitchen, save for the noise from the boiler, and Kuroo wondered why he had searched you out. It wasn’t that anyone neglected him afterwards or tried to make him feel unwelcome, but he still felt a barrier between himself and the three of you that made something in his stomach clench.  
  
“I know I already asked, but are you really okay?”  
  
Your eyes pierced him, and Kuroo had trouble not looking away. He shook his head and tried to shake off the feeling. “Just exhausted,” he said. There was no need to involve you in the confusing mess that was his feelings. It would accomplish nothing except for complicating the matter, and that was the last thing Kuroo needed.  
  
If you noticed anything off about him, you didn’t show it. A goofy grin appeared on your face and you scratched your cheek. “It got pretty intense, huh.”  
  
Kuroo chuckled and studied the light blush on your cheeks. He always enjoyed your confidence and teasing attitude, but there was something endearing about being there when that part fell away and he got to see what was underneath. This was not for just anyone to see - in fact, Kuroo had only seen it for the first time last week, when all of this started.  
  
You cleared your throat and finished your water, looking away from Kuroo to unsuccessfully hide your embarrassment. “If you want something to eat, help yourself,” you said, gesturing towards a cookie jar in the window sill. “We’ve got lots.”  
  
“Because Bo is a glutton, right?” Kuroo grinned, but made no move towards any food.  
  
“Sometimes I don’t know where he leaves it all!” you exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air. “I swear, if Kou didn’t train so much, we could roll him down the stairs within a week.”  
  
The light on the water boiler went off while you spoke, and you got a cup from the cabinet (one of the normal-sized ones, Kuroo noted). You poured the water, then lowered a teabag in to seep.  
  
“How was your day with Kenma?”  
  
Kuroo watched you closely, how you drew circles over the floor with your foot, the way you stared at the cup as though to force the tea into getting ready faster. “You know Kenma? I didn’t realise you guys had met.”  
  
“Once. Kenma wanted to borrow that old console and some games from Bokuto. I was there when he picked it up. He seems nice.”  
  
“Oh right, that old thing he stole from his brother,” Kuroo said. He vaguely remembered Kenma talking about it - by his standards, Kenma had absolutely raved over the old-school games he got to play on it, and Kuroo was surprised Bokuto had ever gotten everything back.  
  
You laughed. “Don’t let Koutarou hear you! He still insists he won it fair and square.”  
  
“Right.” Kuroo snorted. Because Bokuto challenging his brother with two left hands to shooting hoops was totally fair.  
  
Kuroo fell silent, his thoughts preoccupied. There was such familiarity to the way he could talk to you now, a casual yet intimate feeling about the scene. A part of him thought he should feel weird about talking like this straight after what you just did together, yet nothing about it felt wrong.  
  
Alarm bells in his head rang loudly. This was not good.  
  
You studied the cup of tea, sniffed it, then removed the bag. “Let’s get this to Keiji,” you said softly, more to yourself than to Kuroo.  
  
But when Kuroo opened the bedroom door for you and you walked inside with the cup, you found Akaashi still leaning against Bokuto, sleeping soundly.  
  
A wide grin was spread over Bokuto’s face. He continued to rub circles with his thumb on Akaashi’s skin, gently supporting his sleeping partner in his arms. Your smile trembled a little, the relief on your face palpable. You walked towards the nightstand and put down the cup, then leaned in to kiss Bokuto’s forehead.  
  
“He was gone within seconds,” Bokuto said in a hushed voice. His foot bounced a little, betraying how much trouble he was having to keep still. “Hey, could you bring me a snack?”  
  
You grimaced. “Eating in the bed? I don’t want ants, Kou.”  
  
“But I can’t leave now! Keiji might wake up!” he whined softly.  
  
Throwing up your hands, you groaned. “Ugh, fine, but I’m blaming you if I get bitten.” You turned on your heels and marched back into the kitchen, not even asking what Bokuto wanted. Kuroo suspected that you didn’t need to.  
  
He grabbed his clothes together and started putting them on.  
  
“Are you leaving?” Bokuto asked. “Sorry I can’t walk you out right now, but I really don’t want to wake Keiji up.”  
  
Kuroo smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine, Bo.” He looked down on the sleeping pair. Yes, he should probably leave. It scared him how big a part of him did not _want_ to leave.  
  
Still, he zipped up his pants and grinned at Bokuto. “I’ll see you soon. Hope he sleeps through the night.”  
  
He met you in the doorway, carrying that same jar of cookies Bokuto had last time. “Are you going, Tetsurou-kun? Wait a second, I’ll see you out.” You quickly dropped off the cookies with Bokuto, warned him to keep the crumbs to a minimum, then grabbed a robe and darted out of the room.  
  
You put on the robe as you walked Kuroo to the front door, making yourself presentable in case someone walked by outside. “If you see Kenma, tell him I said hi, will you?” You frowned. “Actually, I doubt he remembers me.”  
  
Kuroo tied his shoes but looked up to smirk at you. “He probably does. I’m sure you made enough of an impression on him.” Kenma rarely forgot people.  
  
You rose an eyebrow at him. “You’re lucky I’m going to take that as a compliment, mister.”  
  
“Wouldn’t dare to imply otherwise,” he teased as he straightened up and put on his coat.  
  
You whapped him softly on the arm and laughed. “Right. Goodnight, Tetsurou-kun.”  
  
“Goodnight, (Name).”  
  
The door closed behind him and Kuroo sighed. He remembered Kenma’s words earlier that afternoon. As usual, his friend had been right. He needed to talk about this.

* * *

  
Hushed voices filled the bedroom, attempting to have a conversation while not waking the third occupant.  
  
“Kou, you also need to get some sleep.”  
  
“I can’t move like this!”  
  
“If we’re careful, I’m sure we can lay him down without waking him up.”  
  
“Not risking it.”  
  
“You know you can’t stay up all night, right?”  
  
“Watch me!”  
  
“Ugh. Okay, I definitely shouldn’t have said that.”  
  
“H- hey, what are you doing?”  
  
“What’s it look like? I’m joining you.”  
  
“No way, you should go to sleep.”  
  
“You of all people don’t get to say that!”  
  
“I don’t have a choice!”  
  
“Shush. Be quiet and let me sit here, you’re going to wake him up.”  
  
“...he’s going to scold us for this, isn’t he?”  
  
“...probably.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning; gratuitous reference to the Bokuaka backstory one-shot that I intend to write properly after finishing this. I pretty much got the outline done :3
> 
> Final chapter (and man, this one was a bitch), with a smutty epilogue on the way~ (edit: turns out I lied it ended up being a full chapter instead of an epilogue)

Kuroo got very little sleep that night. He tossed and turned, occasionally playing with his phone and wondering if Kenma was still awake so they could talk. He also wondered if Akaashi was awake or asleep, hoping for the latter. Eventually he did manage to grab a couple of hours, though the next morning came far too early. In all honesty, Kuroo was tempted to spend the whole day in bed.  
  
But he managed to drag himself out from under the sheets, ate a light breakfast and send a quick text to Kenma to ask if he could come over. Instead of waiting for a response, Kuroo took a long and hot shower. By the time he came out, trying to fix the wet mess that was his hair, Kenma already replied.  
  
_Yes._  
  
Not sure if he was relieved or anxious, Kuroo sighed.  
  
He dried himself off further and made a vague attempt at fixing his hair. As he left he he picked up Kenma’s spare keys and his phone. Kenma was only one building over, so that was all he needed. Taking two steps at the time, he jumped up the stairs to the main entrance and used the key to let himself in. A short walk to the back of the building, then Kuroo knocked once on Kenma’s front door to announce his arrival and used a second key to enter the apartment.  
  
As expected, Kenma sat on the sofa with knees almost drawn up to his chin, leaving only enough room so he could rest his console on his legs and play comfortably. He didn’t even look up when Kuroo came inside.  
  
“Hey, Kenma, where is Sissel?” Kuroo said, searching around him for the big cat.  
  
Kenma glanced up for a second. “Outside, probably.”  
  
Kuroo wandered over to the low balcony. The doors were open, a soft breeze coming in. He took a moment to look for a sign of Kenma’s pet, then sighed and went back into the living room.  
  
“Before I forget, (Name) says hi.”  
  
“Did she like the gift?” Kenma asked. His button-pushing became a bit more intense, eyes narrowing.  
  
“Yeah. She was pretty happy with it.” Kuroo looked over his friend’s shoulder and saw him manoeuvring a little figure across a platform. “Oh? Still playing that, huh. Is it fun?”  
  
Kenma shrugged. “It got a little easy after I figured out the mechanics.”  
  
“Hmm, too bad. It’s no fun if you’re not challenged, right?”  
  
“I guess. I don’t really mind, though.” Kenma blew a puff of breath at a strand of hair that threatened to fall into his face.  
  
Silence fell between them and Kuroo sat down next to Kenma on the couch. Kenma shot occasional glances at his friend, but kept most of his attention focused on the game. Despite his earlier claim that it was easy, he seemed to need full concentration to dodge the onslaught of enemy attacks. Then again, Kenma’s definition of an ‘easy game’ was quite different from Kuroo’s.  
  
Part of Kuroo was fine with the silence. It wanted to dance around the issue. Kuroo knew Kenma was not likely to appreciate some aspects of what he needed to talk about, and he barely knew how to explain what he thought about it all and what he wanted to do about it.  
  
Kuroo exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair. Well, that was the entire point of talking about it, right? If he had already figured it all out perfectly, there was no need to bring anything up. He’d already know what to do.  
  
“Hey, Kenma?”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Remember when you said yesterday I could talk to you if I needed to?”  
  
“Yes. Do you need to talk?”  
  
“I do.”  
  
Kenma turned off his game and put the console away. The immediate response startled Kuroo, but he tried to hide it by simply raising an eyebrow when Kenma stared at him.  
  
“Kenma, you don’t have to-”  
  
He shut Kuroo up with a scowl. “It’s not like I’ll be able to focus on the game while I’m trying to listen to you.”  
  
Kuroo couldn’t help chuckling. “So it’s not that easy after all, huh?”  
  
“You’re just that difficult.” Then Kenma sighed and repositioned himself on the couch, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. There was no escaping those slanted eyes.  
  
“You think it’s that serious, huh,” Kuroo muttered, more to himself than to Kenma.  
  
Kenma shrugged. “Yesterday you were really distracted and today you have your shirt on both inside out and backwards. I don’t know if it’s actually serious, but you are definitely preoccupied by something.”  
  
Kuroo glanced down and saw the tag poking out. He grinned sheepishly and quickly fixed his shirt. “All right, all right, you got me,” he said with a laugh. With all his clothes on properly, Kuroo took a deep breath and fully intended to start telling Kenma what was going on.  
  
Silence filled the room while Kenma waited patiently.  
  
“You are not going to like hearing this,” Kuroo eventually said, running his fingers through his hair.  
  
Kenma blinked slowly. “Is this about (Name)? You saw her yesterday, right?” He watched how Kuroo’s cheeks turned red and frowned. “Kuro, if you are about to tell me she is having an affair with you, I won’t believe you.”  
  
The tension inside Kuroo broke and he burst out laughing. Kenma’s eye twitched lightly as he watched Kuroo double in on himself, uncontrollable chortling escaping him.  
  
“I guess she isn’t,” Kenma muttered.  
  
Kuroo gradually recovered from his fit of laughter and shook his head. “Not exactly, no.”  
  
“Kuro, what does ‘not exactly’ mean?” Kenma asked, his eyes narrowing.  
  
Slowly, Kuroo started to explain what had happened. The grimace on Kenma’s face grew more and more intense as Kuroo continued, even though he took care to mention no unsavoury details whatsoever. He took a quick break to check in with Kenma. “Do you regret offering to listen to me yet?”  
  
“...yes. But you can go on.”  
  
By the time Kuroo finished explaining the situation, Kenma had regained his composure and just gave his friend a flat look.  
  
“So you got too close to it, right?”  
  
Kuroo sighed and massaged his forehead. “I messed up, Kenma. I don’t think I can keep this separate from my feelings any more.”  
  
More silence.  
  
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t try to.” Kenma cocked his head and studied his friend closely. “Don’t you just want to be part of the relationship?”  
  
Kuroo blinked. He opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again. A blush slowly started to spread over his cheeks. “Kenma, that’s insane.”  
  
“I definitely won’t disagree with that,” Kenma said with a shrug.  
  
Slowly Kuroo managed to regain some of his composure. He shook his head and quietly laughed to himself. “I’m so in way over my head.”  
  
“I’m surprised you hadn’t realised yet yourself; usually you notice obvious things like this.” Kenma sighed. “Guess you got so distracted the blood wasn’t flowing to your brain properly anymore.”  
  
“Oi, there’s no need for that.” Kuroo smirked. Teasing him was one thing; targeting his old pre-match speech was another. “You know you loved that.”  
  
“I really didn’t.” Kenma scowled at him and turned the subject back on track before Kuroo could respond. “What are you going to do now? Looks to me like you have three options, so it should not be too hard to decide.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
Kenma pointed up a single finger. “One; keep going this way and make yourself miserable.”  
  
He twitched.  
  
“Two; end the arrangement.” A finger was added.  
  
Kuroo’s stomach clenched tightly.  
  
“Or three; try to turn it into a serious relationship.” For a second Kenma held up all three fingers, then lowered his hand. “That’s it.”  
  
Kuroo sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Now Kenma had pointed it out, what he wanted was so obvious that Kuroo wanted to kick himself for not seeing it sooner. But that one also seemed furthest away from a reality. “Kenma, this is a casual arrangement. They’re not looking for anything serious with me.”  
  
Detached as always, Kenma merely shrugged. “There really is no way for me to know that. But would just mean you have only two options left.” He frowned and gave Kuroo a serious look. “I know it’s not up to me, but please don’t make yourself miserable, okay?”  
  
“I’ll try,” Kuroo answered with a chuckle. He stretched out his arms above him and groaned. “Aa~ahh, guess that means I’ll have to end it, huh? Well, it was fun while it lasted.”  
  
Kenma’s face instantly transformed into another deep scowl. “You’re not going to reminiscence about it to me now, are you? I really don’t want any further details.”  
  
“Don’t worry, I’m done pushing your personal boundaries for today!”  
  
“I hope so,” Kenma sighed and his hand found the console again. His attention drifted back to the game, knowing he had done for his friend what he could. The rest was up to Kuroo.  
  
Kuroo inhaled slowly and leaned back on the couch, resting his hands behind his head. A tiny meow distracted him and something soft and heavy landed on his lap. With a wide grin he looked down and saw a slightly overweight black cat rub his head against Kuroo’s shirt. He purred loudly when Kuroo scratched him behind the ears.  
  
“Hey, Kenma, did Sissel get heavier? You’ve been spoiling him again, haven’t you,” Kuroo said, patting the cat’s side with his other hand.  
  
“...no, I haven’t,” Kenma said, but the frown on his face betrayed him. “And no, he didn’t.”  
  
“Sure, sure.”  
  
He wanted to say more, but got distracted by the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. To his disappointment, Sissel fled in a flurry of black fur while he fished out his phone. When he saw the name on the screen, Kuroo froze.  
  
A light tremor in his hand, he raised his phone to his ear and accepted the call.  
  
“Hey, Akaashi, what’s up?”  
  
Kenma looked up from his console when he heard the name, watching Kuroo closely.  
  
“Tomorrow? Well, I get off at seven, I can be there thirty minutes later. If that’s not too late- it’s not? Okay, I’ll see you guys tomorrow then. Say hi to the others for me.” He blinked and put down his phone in his lap. “I just got invited to dinner.”  
  
“Oh. Good, then you won’t have to walk around with this for long. You can just talk to them tomorrow.”  
  
“Yeah...” Kuroo had to admit; despite making his decision, he was not particularly looking towards to putting it into action. “A dinner invitation is kind of out of the blue, I wonder what brought this on.”  
  
“Maybe it’s a date.” The small smirk on Kenma’s face showed far too much amusement for Kuroo’s tastes.  
  
Kuroo snorted, a little too loudly. “Don’t be ridiculous, it’s not like I never ate with them before. It’s probably nothing.” Because he totally believed that.  
  
“The timing is suspicious,” Kenma said. “But I guess you won’t find out until tomorrow.” With that he returned his attention to the game. Soon those little signs of excitement gave away his investment.  
  
“No, it’s not,” Kuroo muttered in denial, more to himself than to Kenma.  
  
He vehemently hoped that work tomorrow was interesting enough to keep his mind off the mess he had stumbled in. Kuroo would need every possible distraction to stop himself from freaking out over this.  


* * *

_“When I get back we need to have a living room meeting asap!”_  
  
That Sunday morning you could vaguely remember Bokuto leaving for his usual run, pressing a quick kiss to both your and Akaashi’s cheeks. Part of you wondered how he had managed to drag himself out of bed so early, considering how late you and him had stayed up, softly chatting while Akaashi slept between you. But then again, Bokuto had always been an early bird.  
  
A little later, Akaashi was the first one to find the note, stuck to the refrigerator with a colourful magnet. You put your arms around his waist from behind and rubbed your face against the contours of his shoulder-blades. “Hmm? What’s that?”  
  
“He wants a meeting,” Akaashi said, putting a hand over yours and rubbing lazy circles with his thumb.  
  
Humming softly, you kissed his neck. “I think I know what it’s about.”  
  
Early on in the relationship, the three of you started the habit of calling in ‘living room meetings’ whenever something needed to be discussed with everyone. Sometimes it was a serious matter, at other occasions Bokuto would use it to bring up something like wanting to change his brand of cereal.  
  
You suspected this time fell under the former.  
  
Ignoring your quiet whine, Akaashi untangled your arms from him and made himself some coffee. “Is it Kuroo?”  
  
“Think so.” You started to make yourself some breakfast while Akaashi leaned against the kitchen counter, patiently waiting for the coffee to be done. “He rambled a bit about it last night, while you were asleep.” At that point, Bokuto had been too exhausted to really make sense.  
  
Honestly, you had intended to ask Bokuto about it today anyway, so him leaving this note basically saved you from calling the meeting yourself.  
  
You turned on the radio to fill the air with something other than the noise of the coffee maker, then sat down at the bar table to eat your breakfast. Akaashi seemed to consider asking you what Bokuto had said, but decided to wait until he could tell it himself.  
  
“Do you know when he got up?”  
  
Swallowing a mouthful food, you frowned while trying to remember just what time it had been. “Not sure? It was pretty early, he must be taking the long way around or he’d be back by now.”  
  
By the time Bokuto got back home both you and Akaashi had already finished breakfast and freshened up. “Shower first, meeting after!” he called out, disappearing into the bathroom.  
  
He just took a quick one, and when he got out you had already made tea for him and yourself (Bokuto was not allowed coffee any more except under special circumstances). Akaashi settled down on the couch, soon joined by Bokuto. You sat down in the chair and folded your legs beneath you. In your hands was a big mug of tea, steaming. Akaashi glanced at the polka dot pattern and rose an eyebrow.  
  
When you realised what he was looking at, you couldn’t help but blush.  
  
Bokuto missed the exchange, staring at his own cup. Usually the one who asked for the meeting spoke first, so Akaashi and you waited patiently for Bokuto to gather his thoughts. He took a slow sip from his tea, wincing when he realised it was too hot to drink. You noted he had not properly dried his hair, drops clinging on the strands and creating wet spots on his hoodie.  
  
He fidgeted with the ear of his cup, almost spilling his drink. “Okay, so I thought inviting Kuroo for a couple of nights would just be fun. And it totally has been!”  
  
Once again, Bokuto almost splattered tea when he started talking animatedly. To the relief of both you and Akaashi he decided to just put his drink on the table. Bokuto stared intensely at his partners, his serious side coming out.  
  
“But I want to stop it. It’s not just fun any more.”  
  
You opened your mouth to speak, to tell him you were heading towards that feeling yourself, but Akaashi caught your eye and shook his head. Bokuto was not done speaking his mind yet.  
  
“I felt so weird when he left yesterday.” Bokuto ran his hand through his hair and stared a it in surprise when he noticed how wet it was. A shrug, then he got his thoughts back on track. “I didn’t really think about it because I was so happy that you were sleeping” - he grinned at Akaashi, who returned a warm smile - “but I didn’t want him to leave.”  
  
He sighed loudly.  
  
“I don’t really know how I feel about it all, but he’s one of my closest friends. I don’t want things to become weird between us. So we should stop it.” Bokuto bit the corner of his lip and pulled at it with his teeth.  
  
Akaashi and you exchanged a look, silently agreeing on who should respond first. “I agree,” Akaashi said, picking at a fingernail. “If anyone is feeling uncomfortable with it, it would be stupid to do again.”  
  
You nodded, blowing softly on your tea. “Yeah.”  
  
Despite everyone agreeing, the mood in the room was despondent. You traced a pinkie around one of the polka dots on the mug. It would be a lie to say that last week you had not occasionally thought about what it might be like if Kuroo got involved more closely with everyone, but you had waved it off as a frivolous fantasy.  
  
Bokuto was getting fidgety, picking up his tea and then promptly setting it back down again after he realised it was still too hot to drink. You shifted a little deeper into the chair, searching for comfort. Part of you just wanted to curl up against one of the guys.  
  
Why did this feel like a break-up?  
  
You glanced at Akaashi, trying to read his reaction. He seemed to be deep in thought, coffee in his hands forgotten. “Koutarou, how would you feel about bringing Kuroo in on this?” he finally said, breaking the glum silence.  
  
“Eh? We should probably tell him last night was the last time, right?” Bokuto blinked at Akaashi in confusion. “It would be awkward if he asks about doing it again while we don’t want to.”  
  
Letting out a soft sigh, Akaashi shook his head. “That’s not what I mean. I was talking about involving him with us.”  
  
Bokuto started to frown, then his eyes widened. “Ooohhh!” Understanding dawned on him and for a moment he sat frozen, his mouth still shaped into an ‘o’. Bokuto came into motion again, holding his chin between thumb and forefinger and closing his eyes in thought. “Hmmm, but you can’t really think he’d be interested in that, right?”  
  
Akaashi simply shrugged. “We won’t know unless we ask. That’s why I’m asking what you want.” He turned his gaze to you. “What do you think?”  
  
Playing with the edge of your sleeve, you tried to guide your turbulent thoughts into something you could verbalise. “It would get pretty crowded, wouldn’t it.”  
  
“It might.”  
  
“More complicated, too.”  
  
“Probably.”  
  
“Could be tricky to make it work.”  
  
“We might not be able to, that risk always exists. But then again, we also managed to make this work.” Akaashi gestured around him with a small inclination of his head.  
  
A small grin appeared on your face. “Yeah, this is not too shabby.” You took a sip of your tea, finally cooled down enough to drink, and watched Bokuto.  
  
He pulled lightly at his chin now, still thinking. “It just feels weird, you know. We’ve been friends for so long now.” Bokuto frowned. “But then I think about what I felt last night and I don’t know, I guess it doesn’t feel wrong either.”  
  
Akaashi chuckled. “Well, you did used to have that gigantic crush on him.”  
  
“Keiji! Gah, I never should have told you about that!”  
  
You couldn’t help but laugh at Bokuto’s embarrassment. This crush was from before you met either of the guys, but Akaashi had taken great pleasure in detailing to you how first-year Bokuto had met Kuroo on a training camp, and fell head over heels for the middle blocker who looked so cool (that in reality Kuroo turned out to be such a massive dork only made matters worse).  
  
“But doesn’t that just prove that it’s pointless to talk about this? Kuroo didn’t have that kind of interest in me whatsoever! He was even more oblivious than I am!”  
  
His eyebrow twitched when neither of you protested against his statement.  
  
“Oi, aren’t you supposed to object when I say stuff like that?”  
  
Akaashi slowly nodded. “You’re right, I apologise.” He took a deep breath. “Koutarou, that’s not true, you definitely are worse than Kuroo.”  
  
“Keiji!” He whined loudly and let his head fall forward.  
  
You laughed and almost spilled your tea from shaking. “Kou, it took you over a year to realise I had a crush on you!”  
  
“And she was not being subtle about it, either.”  
  
Now it was your turn to pout. “Only before I realised Kou was in a relationship already! I behaved properly after that.”  
  
Akaashi conceded with a with a small nod.  
  
Scowling at the both of you, Bokuto sat back and crossed his arms. Akaashi shuffled closer to him and brushed a hand against his thigh. Just that small motion already was enough to melt the discontent expression off Bokuto’s face. “Sorry, we got off topic. So you don’t think Kuroo would be open to it,” Akaashi recapped, guiding the conversation back on track.  
  
Bokuto shrugged. “Yeah. It’s nice to think about, I guess, but I don’t see him going for it.”  
  
Avoiding eye-contact with your partners, you clutched your mug a little tighter, tracing circles around one of the polka dots. “I think it’s worth asking,” you said softly. “If only because I’d regret not trying.”  
  
The double intense looks you were given made you blush a little.  
  
“But I think Kou is the one with the most to lose if this ends badly, so he should have final say.” After all, he was closest friends with Kuroo and saw him the most.  
  
“I agree,” Akaashi said, and all eyes were on Bokuto.  
  
Bokuto pouted at you, not happy to have been given this responsibility. “Well, we’re going to have an awkward talk with Kuroo either way.” A grin broke out on his face and he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “Then I might as well go for the choice with the most potential for embarrassing myself, right?”  
  
“That does seem like you,” Akaashi teased with a smile.  
  
You let out a happy sigh and grinned. Later you would probably start worrying about all the things this could go wrong, but at that moment you could only think of the beautiful possibility that lay ahead.  
  
A momentary silence hung between you, then Akaashi cleared his throat. “With that settled... when are we going to talk to him?”  
  
Bokuto furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. “Well, you and I will see him next Saturday anyway.”  
  
“You’re not asking him in the middle of guys’ night!” you exclaimed, horrified.  
  
“Don’t worry, we definitely won’t.”  
  
“Guys! Have a little more faith in me!” Bokuto whined. “I meant we should invite him over for a talk then, not discuss it right in front of our friends!”  
  
Akaashi rose a single inquisitive eyebrow. “That’s a whole week from now, though. Koutarou, aren’t you just trying to put it off because you’re nervous?”  
  
The muscles in his shoulders twitched and Bokuto carefully avoided eye-contact with Akaashi.  
  
“I thought so,” Akaashi sighed. “Don’t you think it’s better to try and do this as quickly as possible? We should just get it over with.”  
  
You chuckled at his blunt approach. “So romantic, Keiji.”  
  
He was not goaded by your teasing and shrugged. “You agree, right? Postponing will only give us all extra time to start overthinking all of this.”  
  
“Right as always, Keiji,” you conceded and got out your phone. “So, when are all three of us home this week?”  
  
“You are still meeting up with Kaori this evening?”  
  
“Yeah, we’ve been trying to set that up for weeks so I really don’t want to reschedule her...” You chuckled at Akaashi’s haste. “You really intend to power through now, don’t you?”  
  
He shrugged. “I see no reason to wait if everyone agrees.”  
  
Bokuto was becoming increasingly fidgety but still nodded in agreement. “I was going to be at Uncle Tarou’s all day tomorrow, but I can get back home a little earlier, maybe eat dinner here.”  
  
You frowned. “Are you sure, Kou? You always look forward to it so much.”  
  
“Yeah, I’ll just call him today to change plans. We see each other all the time anyway.” Bokuto grinned, though there was a nervous edge to his expression. “Keiji is right, we shouldn’t draw this out longer than we need to. And Kuroo hasn’t mentioned any plans to me, so hopefully he’s available.”  
  
Now the plan of action and date was decided, a pregnant silence filled the room while everyone exchanged pointed glances, trying to figure out the answer to the next problem; who was going to ask Kuroo and what were they going to say?  
  
Akaashi sighed.  
  
“I’ll call him,” he said, taking out his phone.  
  
Feeling a little guilty over making him do the work, you grimaced. “Is that okay, Keiji?”  
  
He shrugged. “Koutarou should definitely not do it,” Akaashi said, glancing sideways at Bokuto, who by now could barely sit still from nerves, “and you have a habit to ramble when you’re nervous. You might blurt something out that’s better left unsaid until tomorrow.”  
  
You pouted at him, but also could not bring yourself to argue his point. He definitely was the most tactful out of the three of you, and most suited for the task.  
  
Both you and Bokuto watched him closely as he looked up the right number and dialled.  
  
There was no going back now.

* * *

Despite his vague hopes that he would be able to keep himself sane, the following day Kuroo was a pure bag of nerves and could barely function at work. He kept misaligning the buttons of his lab coat when he tried to put it on, and when he almost switched up the DNA samples he wanted to test, Kuroo realised that he had two choices; go home or pull himself together.  
  
Kuroo choose the latter.  
  
He took pride in being a good employee and was not about to mess up at work just because he felt like his stomach was about to jump out of his throat. Excusing himself to his coworkers, Kuroo gave himself a five-minute break to get his act together and start behaving like a responsible adult again.  
  
To his relief, the breakroom was empty. He filled a glass with water and took slow sips as he tried to calm himself down.  
  
Dinner with you and the guys tonight. No big deal. Akaashi had been vague on the details, but Kuroo was not an idiot; they definitely intended to discus something. Now, to be fair, Kuroo had his own issue that he needed to bring to the table. But whether they were at all on the same wavelength or if this night was doomed to become one huge awkward mess? Kuroo had no idea.  
  
Right now, his brain told him to be rather safe than sorry and just expect the worst.  
  
He sighed and drank deep from the glass, then refilled it. The cold liquid somewhat helped to ground him. There was absolutely nothing he could do about any of that right now, he reminded himself. Nothing he could do to influence what might happen, to change the upcoming events. Kuroo drained the second glass and put away in the dishwasher. There was nothing he could do right now but work. He got out his phone, just to quickly check for messages or missed calls before returning to the lab. When he saw he had received a new message from Bokuto, his eyes widened. But once he opened it, Kuroo couldn’t help but smile.  
  
A snapchat of Bokuto grinning with his latest renovation project; a large dining table. _Owl see you tonight!_  
  
The caption made Kuroo shake his head, chuckling despite himself. Most Mondays Bokuto had the day off from training; that usually meant visits to his uncle’s workshop to work on whatever project currently held his attention. Updates with silly puns were part of the habit.  
  
Kuroo wasn’t sure why, but somehow the goofy picture of his friend managed to calm him down. Even if tonight did not go the way he wanted to, Kuroo could say with some confidence that he wouldn’t lose this. Should it go badly, they might have to go through an awkward phase, but they would recover and go back to things like this.  
  
Though his mindset had improved considerably, Kuroo still had to admit this was not one of this most productive days. A coworker even commented on it during lunch, and Kuroo gave an evasive answer when they asked what was going on. But as incredibly slow as the day was, eventually eventually the clock reached seven and he could finish things up. Kuroo took off his lab coat, undid the top button of his shirt and ruffled his hair (not that it had looked particularly neat before; Kuroo always had to resort to a hairband and clips to make his hair work-safe).  
  
Time to head over for dinner.  
  
He took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp pangs of discomfort in his stomach. Part of him was tempted to call and take a rain check with the excuse of being sick, but he could imagine Kenma’s exasperated stare and remembered that just meant putting off the inevitable. So instead he just dragged his ass over to the metro station and got on the same line he always took home, just one stop further. The building was near the exit, and Bokuto buzzed him inside. He took the elevator up, and as soon as the doors to the hallway opened he could smell the scent of seafood in the hallway. It brought a sardonic smile to Kuroo’s face; no matter how bad tonight would go, at least he’d get a good meal out of it.  
  
To be fair, your brightly smiling face was an encouraging start of the evening. “Tetsurou-kun! Come on in, we’re almost done,” you said, gesturing him to come inside.  
  
Akaashi stood in the kitchen, keeping a close eye on a grill. He started turning over the pieces of fish, only sparing a glance at Kuroo. “Hey. How was work?”  
  
Kuroo didn’t answer him, distracted by the sight of those fish. “Mackerel pike? You guys are spoiling me.”  
  
“I picked it up especially for you, buddy!” Bokuto called out from the living room area, where he was preparing a make-shift dining space at the low table. “Be grateful to me, okay?”  
  
Akaashi sighed. “And that’s all you did, Koutarou.”  
  
“Oi, not my fault it’s not my turn to cook!”  
  
You joined Akaashi in the kitchen and started grating daikon. “They’re looking good, Keiji.” He grunted in response. “Kou, are you almost done there?”  
  
“Yeah, just drinks! Kuroo, you’ll have some sake too, right?”  
  
With the smell of food and a warm atmosphere in the air, it almost became too easy for Kuroo to forget what he needed to do tonight. He hesitated, wondering if it was smart to bring alcohol in his system right now, but he could not resist one cup. It would go so well with the fish... “Sure.”  
  
Everyone around him busy with preparations, Kuroo started to feel a little lost. This was definitely not good for his nerves. Akaashi had started cutting up lemons into wedges, regularly checking up on the mackerel.  
  
“Hey, can I do that?” Kuroo asked, and Akaashi muttered a quick thanks as he handed over the knife. Kuroo’s cuts were slightly less neat than Akaashi’s, but hey, the lemons were still vaguely wedge-shaped and that was the most important thing, right?  
  
Bokuto started readying four plates on the kitchen island and you finished with the daikon. You added some soy, then divided it up in neat piles on the rectangular plates. You smiled at Kuroo when he added the lemon.  
  
“Okay, they’re done. Bring the plates over here,” Akaashi said. Kuroo and Bokuto both carried two and Akaashi expertly transferred the fish from the grill to the plates.  
  
“They look delicious,” you said softly to Akaashi, and pressed a quick kiss on his lips while Bokuto and Kuroo brought the food to the improvised dining area.  
  
All four sat down on their knees, you and Bokuto on one side of the table, Akaashi and Kuroo on the other. “Thanks for the meal,” echoed through the room with various gradations of volume and enthusiasm.  
  
Kuroo picked up his chopsticks and started to fillet the mackerel. It was cooked to perfection and flaked apart easily. Everyone was quiet as they enjoyed the first bites of the meal, soft sounds of contentment filling the air.  
  
Yet at the same time, nobody seemed entirely at ease. Akaashi and you kept exchanging looks, while it was impossible to not notice how Bokuto played more with his food than eat it. Kuroo had intended to wait until after dinner before bringing anything up, but he could feel the atmosphere changing. Maybe he should just get it over with. His chest clenched at the prospect. He didn’t want to end it. How comfortable he had felt amongst you before sitting down only cemented this feeling. But to his regret, that was exactly why he had to put a stop to it.  
  
Kuroo inhaled deeply and then breathed out, mentally preparing himself to speak up.  
  
“Guys-” “Uhm-” “Kuroo-” “There’s-”  
  
Everyone stared across the table from one person to another. Bokuto burst out laughing at the startled expressions around the room. The sound was infectious and soon enough even Akaashi chuckled out loud, holding up a hand to his mouth, knuckles brushing his lips.  
  
“Kuroo, we need to talk to you about something,” Akaashi said when everyone quieted down, the atmosphere changing to something heavier.  
  
He nodded slowly. “There’s something on my mind, too,” he said. Straight across from him, you looked at him with big eyes, your breathing slightly uneven. The intensity of your stare made him look away, but that only brought Bokuto in his line of sight, who’s gaze definitely rivalled yours, golden eyes unblinking. To make matters worse, he could feel Akaashi’s attention on him as well. “If you guys don’t mind, I’d like to get it out first.”  
  
Otherwise it might never happen.  
  
Quiet nods from you and Akaashi. “Sure, man, go for it,” Bokuto said.  
  
Well, here goes nothing. Kuroo cleared his throat and finally spoke the words he had been mentally rehearsing since talking with Kenma. “I’m sorry, but we need to stop this” - he vaguely gestured around himself - “thing we’ve been doing.”  
  
He sighed deeply and tried not to look at anyone. If he did, he could probably not keep going.  
  
“I am getting too involved, and I don’t want to risk any friendship over this. So...” Kuroo hesitated and looked at Bokuto, who had an indecipherable look on his face. Shock, maybe? Surprise? “Is there any possibility we can just stop this and go back to the way it was?”  
  
Bokuto started to make him nervous (well, even more nervous than he already was). He still stared at Kuroo, eyes wide and seemingly stunned. Quickly he glanced at Akaashi, giving his partner a helpless look.  
  
A small smile on his lips, Akaashi sighed and turned to Kuroo. “Can I ask you something?”  
  
Numbly, Kuroo nodded.  
  
“Does this mean you want to stop having sex with us, or that you just want it to stop being casual?”  
  
Once again Kuroo felt extremely aware of all the eyes on him.  
  
However, for the first time he also realised he was not the only mess of nerves in the room. Your teeth kept pulling at your bottom lip, hands twisting in your lap. Bokuto was still jittery, carrying visible tension in his shoulders and a tremor in his arms. Akaashi remained the most put-together, but even he fiddled with his fingers.  
  
“I...” Kuroo tried to swallow a lump in his throat and wet his lips. “I didn’t think that was an option.”  
  
A small noise escaped from Bokuto and his mouth kept twitching between a large grin and hanging open with disbelief. “But if it was an option? Because it’s totally an option! Do you-”  
  
Bokuto was on the verge of rambling and you quieted him with a soft touch on his leg. Then you looked back at Kuroo, eyes still wide and lips pursed together tightly, as though you were unwilling to assume anything until it was said explicitly.  
  
Kuroo felt himself heat up. He was convinced he must be flushed like mad by now, as the reality of the situation started to sink in.  
  
It was an option.  
  
All that heaviness, all that tension, he could feel it starting to sink away. His lips curled into a smirk and he couldn’t resist the next words that tumbled from his mouth. “Oya oya, so you’ve all fallen for me, huh?”  
  
Akaashi rolled his eyes. “Don’t push it. Isn’t it the same for you?”  
  
Kuroo chuckled, a sheepish grin on his face. The weight had fallen from his shoulders and he felt light, so very light. “You just had to call me out on that, didn’t you. Yeah, I guess that’s true.”  
  
In a rush of sudden movement, Bokuto reached over the table, almost knocking down every plate. You and Akaashi quickly stabilised the table while Bokuto put his hand on the back of Kuroo’s head and pushed them together into a hard kiss.  
  
It was clumsy; their lips almost missed, but Bokuto put his other hand on Kuroo’s cheek, aligning their faces so they could properly enjoy the kiss. Bokuto’s mouth was hungry, eager, tongue probing for access. With a start Kuroo realised that despite spending two nights together, this was the first time they actually kissed.  
  
He closed his eyes and braced his hands on the table to keep himself upright, Bokuto’s weight threatening to topple him backwards. Opening his mouth slightly, their tongues met halfway as both tried to take control of the kiss.  
  
For a moment, everything else was forgotten.  
  
Until Akaashi cleared his throat and tugged at Bokuto’s shirt. “Koutarou, you’re being greedy again,” he said in a deadpan voice.  
  
You chuckled while Bokuto slowly pulled away. His grin almost split his face in two.  
  
Kuroo could feel how flushed his cheeks were, but he matched Bokuto’s expression. Despite his reprimanding words, Akaashi smiled. He picked up his chopsticks and continued to eat. If it weren’t for his hand lightly touching Kuroo’s leg, it would seem like nothing had happened.  
  
Cocking his head, Bokuto gave Akaashi a curious look. “Hey, Keiji, shouldn’t we, I don’t know, talk through some more things? Aren’t you always reminding me how important that stuff is?”  
  
Akaashi shrugged. “We can do that after dinner. It would be a shame to let the food go cold.”  
  
“I agree,” you said, and took another bite of your fish.  
  
Bokuto looked around him with a happy grin, lips slightly swollen. He silently rose his cup of sake towards Kuroo, who returned the quiet toast. The alcohol, combined with the unexpected turn of events this evening, threatened to go straight to his head and Kuroo could not keep the grin off his face. Around him everyone was eating again, and he joined in. There still was something tense in the air, a sense of anticipation for what this would lead to and how things were going to work out. But for now, they just enjoyed each others’ company without thinking about anything complicated that might follow.  
  
His lips still carried the memory of Bokuto’s mouth on his. Akaashi’s hand kept brushing over his leg, sometimes lingering for an extended moment. Opposite of him, you kept glancing at him through heavy-lidded eyes.  
  
And for the first time since this all started, Kuroo finally did not feel like an outsider any more.  
  
After dinner was finished and cleaned up, somehow they managed to fit all four of them on the three-person couch. Kuroo could feel himself warm up at being sandwiched between Akaashi and Bokuto; the younger man rested his head against Kuroo’s chest while Bokuto leaned against his shoulder. You had nestled on the armrest next to Bokuto, but slung your arm over his shoulder so you could play with Kuroo’s hair, occasionally massaging his scalp.  
  
A content sigh escaped Kuroo and he rubbed his cheek against the top of Bokuto’s head, then switched to Akaashi. One arm snuck behind Bokuto so he could brush his fingers against your shoulder, craving contact with everyone.  
  
“I’m not going to lie, Bo,” Kuroo said, “I thought you were insane when you brought up a foursome for the first time. But I guess I’m pretty happy you got that crazy idea stuck in your head.”  
  
Blinking, Bokuto stared at him. “Thanks... I think? But it wasn’t my idea, you know! They” - he nodded his head at you and Akaashi - “just bullied me into asking you because they didn’t have the guts.”  
  
“Koutarou...” Akaashi narrowed his eyes.  
  
“Oh, all right, because they thought you’d be more likely to accept the offer from me. Is that better, Keiji?”  
  
“Wait, but whose idea was it then?” Kuroo looked from you to Akaashi in confusion.  
  
“Keiji’s,” you said, playing with a strand of Kuroo’s hair.  
  
Kuroo’s smirk grew tenfold as he looked at Akaashi. “Oh really?” Not that Akaashi and him weren’t on good terms, but Kuroo had completely assumed that this had all started because Bokuto thought up of this crazy idea and that the rest had just gone along with it.  
  
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Akaashi said. “I just proposed what these two were too nervous to bring up; the first time was mostly for their benefit.”  
  
“Ouch, way to shoot me down!” Clutching his chest, Kuroo mockingly grimaced at Akaashi - but then his mouth quickly twisted into a toothy grin. “So the second time wasn’t? I wonder what made you change your mind,” he drawled.  
  
It was meant as a tease, but Akaashi stayed quiet and gave the question serious thought. When he answered, he spoke slowly and choose his words with care. “Friday night, when you stayed up with me. Maybe it had already started earlier, but that’s when I knew for sure that I was attracted to you.”  
  
Kuroo’s smirk instantly faded away, a tight band clenching around his chest. But unlike the nerves of earlier today, this was not a bad feeling. He swallowed thickly and nuzzled the top of Akaashi’s head. He wondered what he had done that night that was so special for Akaashi to have changed things. Kuroo felt like he had done nothing more than make sure Akaashi was not alone at a vulnerable time.  
  
Perhaps that had been enough.  
  
For a moment it was all too much. He was surrounded by affection and hands on him, touching his legs and arms or threading through his hair. It threatened to overwhelm him so Kuroo did what he did best; sideline it with provocation.  
  
“So... those other two were hot for me from the start huh?”  
  
The reactions were almost too predictable. Bokuto and you scowled at Kuroo with narrowed eyes, while Akaashi looked at them with a smug smirk. “Definitely. He thinks you’re incredibly hot and she had been fantasising about your mouth on her for weeks.”  
  
A double outcry of “ _Keiji_!” filled the room. Bokuto and you stared at Akaashi in horror, both turning bright red. Spluttering denials were thrown across the couch.  
  
Scoffing lightly, Akaashi gave both a pointed look. “Koutarou, you had a crush on him for over a year back in high school.” Akaashi turned to you. “And you might’ve been drunk when you blurted that out, but you can’t say you were lying, right?”  
  
“...right,” you said with a petulant edge to your lips.  
  
“You couldn’t just let us look cool in front of Kuroo for once, could you.” Visibly dejected, Bokuto pouted at Akaashi.  
  
Kuroo couldn’t help but laugh at those despondent expressions. He smirked at Akaashi. “Don’t be _too_ mean to them, their delicate souls can’t handle being embarrassed so much.”  
  
You huffed. “Tetsu, you do realise that you’re also being mean, right?” You leaned over Bokuto and rubbed your face against Kuroo’s jawline, lips softly brushing over his skin.  
  
“Watch it, Kuroo, she starts flirting if she’s losing a discussion,” Akaashi said, but even as he spoke, he leaned his head upwards and nuzzled his nose into Kuroo’s neck.  
  
“Keiji, you’re not supposed to give away my secret tactics this early,” you murmured. Your breath fell against Kuroo’s ear, causing him to shiver.  
  
Not wanting to be left out or ignored, Bokuto’s hand trailed higher up Kuroo’s thigh and he smirked. “The problem is, it still works even when you know she’s playing you.”  
  
“On you maybe,” Akaashi retorted, then kissed Kuroo’s neck softly.  
  
That night, Kuroo did not go back to his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry to anyone who expected huge amounts of angst for Kuroo! It’s something I occasionally enjoy reading, but me writing it is pretty rare. I just want my boys to be happy <3 This was never intended to be a long ongoing story anyway - I thought it’d be three chapters! Haha I got carried away as usual...
> 
> Hope to see you in the last chap~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I just need to take a moment for a HUGE THANKS to everyone who has stuck with me until now! The response to this story has been unexpected but amazing, I feel so blessed :’3 Hope you all also enjoy this last part! It was supposed to be an epilogue but it turned out so much longer and detailed than I intended that I’m just gonna eat my words and call it chapter five, woops.
> 
> As usual, tags were added as needed~

That night, the experience had been something else entirely. Hands and lips had trailed over Kuroo as though they tried to map out his body, testing out every response. The memory threatened to blur, leaving only distilled images in Kuroo’s mind. Your nails scraping over his skin, grazing his nipples with your teeth. Akaashi’s mouth around his cock, tongue teasing until Kuroo was reduced to a stuttering mess.  
  
And then Bokuto on his back, laying before Kuroo, vulnerable but almost quivering with excitement and anticipation. He had been tight, so very tight, but barely gave Kuroo a chance to adjust, impatient to start moving. Akaashi had chided Bokuto and quieted him down with a deep kiss, while you draped yourself over Kuroo, mouth on his shoulder and neck, hands _everywhere_.  
  
If his colleagues at work thought Kuroo had seemed distracted the previous day, his head was nowhere near the lab now.  
  
His thoughts kept getting pulled back to what had happened, but even more so to all that he still _wanted_ to do. One thing stood out in particular, bright in his head with sharpened edges, demanding attention. Deciding it was better to act on the impulse than be passive and torture himself over it, he send you a quick message during a break, asking if you could come over to talk after work. Five minutes later you send back a confirmation.  
  
Somehow Kuroo managed to get through the rest of the day without causing a major accident or making big mistakes. When he opened the door for you that evening, you pulled him down for a deep kiss before he had the chance to do or say anything else, snaking your arms around his shoulders.  
  
His hands rested on your waist, fingers digging into the fabric of your clothes. Kuroo responded eagerly, his tongue massaging yours at a slow but intense pace. You curled your fingers into his hair, pushing yourself closer against him. One of his hands found your ass and squeezed. Slightly breathless, you broke away from him before things could get out of hand.  
  
“I love that I get to do that now,” you said in a soft voice, your foreheads pressed together.  
  
Kuroo hummed in agreement and rubbed his nose against yours. Never removing his arm from your waist, he led you further into the room. He grinned at the way your eyes lit up when you spotted the kotatsu. “It’s turned on,” he said, and chuckled when it took you less than five seconds to detach yourself from him and get settled at the table.  
  
You grinned happily at him and he sat down at the other corner, legs brushing against each other under the table. “So, you wanted to talk about something?”  
  
Dammit, why couldn’t he stop his face from heating up? You frowned at his flustered demeanour and the obvious avoiding of eye-contact. After a moment of analysing his reaction carefully, you smirked.  
  
“Kuroo Tetsurou, just what are you up to?”  
  
He took a deep breath and forced himself to look at you. “There was something I’d like to try out, but I could use your help.. preparing.”  
  
Eyes widening, you perked up when you realised what Kuroo was talking about. “The others are going to be so pumped when they find out,” you said, staring at him with a bright smile on your face. “Fuck, Kou is going to freak out. ” You shook your head, grinning. “You better brace yourself, Tetsu.”  
  
Damn, he was still bright red, wasn’t he? Kuroo swallowed thickly but grinned back at you. “I’d like to surprise them. That’s why I asked you first.”  
  
You nodded eagerly, but then your mouth curled into a pouting scowl.  
  
“Hm? What’s wrong?”  
  
Apparently, now it was your turn to blush. “Just... really regretting right now that we broke my strap-on.”  
  
Kuroo almost choked at your words. “You have a strap-on?” he asked incredulously.  
  
“ _Had_ ,” you corrected. “I mean, you know now what a pushy bottom Koutarou can be, right? We only got a couple of goes out of it before one of the straps tore.”  
  
Laughter bubbled up from inside Kuroo and he cackled at your pouting face. The image of Bokuto getting too carried away and breaking down your toys just came too easily to his mind. You huffed and crossed your arms, but could not keep your face serious for long and grinned sheepishly.  
  
“Oh, poor Bo, I bet he got so dejected after that.”  
  
“It was a shame, but I have more than one way to satisfy my boys.” You reached over the table to put your hand over his. “But you want help with prep, right? Well, there’s a couple of things that we probably should talk about, and a whole bunch of things you can do in advance.”  
  
There was a provocative edge to your smile now.  
  
“And there are some things I can do, too.”  
  
Underneath the kotatsu, your foot brushed against Kuroo’s leg, trailing upwards. You blinked in surprise when Kuroo pulled back, that blush back on his cheeks.  
  
“Something wrong?”  
  
Kuroo partly hid his face behind his hand, embarrassed by his own embarrassment. How long was it going to take before all this fluster would finally go away? “Uhm, is this kind of thing okay when not everyone is around?”  
  
For a moment you stared at Kuroo, then frantically started shaking your head. “Oh no, Tetsu! Ah dammit, this is exactly the kind of thing why Keiji always says it’s important to talk everything through.” Grimacing, you rubbed the back of your head. “I guess we got too distracted yesterday to get to that part.”  
  
A heated look was exchanged, the memory of last night suddenly vivid again.  
  
“Anyway,” you said, looking down at the table with a small smile on your face, “no, it’s totally okay. Can you imagine how exhausting and complicated it would get? Every time you want to fool around, you need to get all thre- four people in the same room?” You chuckled and waved a hand. “Trust me, everyone is totally fine with it.”  
  
“I figured it would be, I just.. just wanted to be sure. Don’t want to step on any toes this early in the game.”  
  
Kuroo felt a little foolish for his worry but didn’t intend to linger on the subject.  
  
“But in that case...” he said, directing a toothy grin at you, “I’ll gladly leave myself in your capable hands.”  


* * *

Next Saturday, Kuroo found himself nervous again, but for entirely different reasons. It was time for guys’ night out, and though Akaashi and Bokuto had ensured him that nobody needed to know yet if he wasn’t comfortable with it, Kuroo’s hands were sweaty and his eyes flitted around the room.  
  
The rational part of his brain reminded him that, while some had been surprised and needed a moment to get used to the idea, all the guys had been nothing but supportive when you entered the relationship with Bokuto and Akaashi. So there was no reason for them to react differently now it was with Kuroo, right? Right.  
  
The turn-out for tonight was modest. Though the old members of Nekoma and Fukurodani tried to keep regular contact, it was hard to find dates when everyone could attend with all these different lives going on - which is why guys’ night out had turned into a semi-regular occurrence, so it was not a big deal if someone missed out for an evening.  
  
Kenma sat quietly at the corner of the long table, playing a game on his phone. However, he carefully paid attention to everyone around him. Kuroo took the opportunity to catch up with Yaku and Kai. At his friends’ insistence, the latter was showing pictures of his baby daughter, while everyone bought him so many congratulatory drinks that he was definitely starting to get inebriated. His cheeks were rosy and didn’t seem to realise any more when he repeated his stories for the fourth time. Yaku and Kuroo gladly indulged him.  
  
At the other side of the table, Bokuto and Lev laughed loudly at Konoha’s jokes (he’d been saving up bad puns especially for the occasion). Akaashi sat next to Bokuto, sighing at the particularly cringeworthy ones.  
  
Kuroo slowly nurtured his drink, not intending to drink much tonight. Still, he could feel his inhibitions lowering, perhaps less because of the alcohol, and more because of the relaxing atmosphere in the room. After finishing his glass, he extracted himself from his seat and wormed his way between Akaashi and Komi.  
  
“Hey,” Akaashi said when Kuroo sat down, close enough for their arms to touch. “Are you okay?”  
  
“I’m good,” he replied, then leaned in to brush his nose against Akaashi’s temple and sighed. “Just wanted to be close.” Kuroo straightened up again, and everyone had been so caught up in their own conversations that nobody noticed the small moment of intimacy - except for one.  
  
Kenma studied them with interest, watching how the edges of Akaashi’s lips slowly curled upwards at the display of affection. Then Akaashi leaned against Kuroo, head resting on top of his shoulder.  
  
“So it turned out all right then,” Kenma muttered, not loud enough to attract any attention from anyone else in the room.  
  
Grinning, Kuroo reached around Akaashi to rest his hand on Bokuto’s shoulder. “It sure did.”  
  
“Good.” Kenma nodded, then returned to his game.  
  
By now more people started to notice something was going on. Kai and Yaku stared at the trio opposite of them, then broke out in wide grins. Konoha groaned. “Don’t tell me you guys snatched up another one.” But he softened his exasperated reaction by clapping Bokuto on the shoulder, as if to say ‘nice job’.  
  
Lev took a little longer to realise what he was seeing. “Eh? Kuroo-san is...?” He craned his neck to see what was going on and blinked. “Wait, is Kuroo-san with them now?”  
  
“Seems so,” Kuroo answered, grinning at his former underclassman.  
  
Frowning, Lev put in visible effort to make sense of the situation in his head. His speech was slightly drawled from his alcohol intake. “But there’s (Name)-san too, right?” He scratched the back of his head. “That makes four people... Isn’t that very crowded?”  
  
“Oi, Lev, don’t be rude!” Yaku called out to him, and only remained seated because of Kai’s calming hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Eehhh?? I was just wondering!” Lev protested. His brow furrowed deeper and he stared at Kuroo with an intense gaze, though his eyes were slightly clouded from his buzz. Despite his size, Lev was a real lightweight. “I wonder if they’ll ever add a fifth person? Now that would really be a crowd! How would you even fit into a bed?”  
  
“Lev, what did I say?” Yaku said, reaching over the table to hit him over the head, causing Lev to yelp. Kai gently guided Yaku back on his seat, laughing softly.  
  
“We accept applications, but I have to warn you; the screening process is brutal,” Akaashi deadpanned.  
  
The room filled with laughter and people slowly returned to their conversations, most of them taking a moment to grin at Kuroo or even congratulate him. Just like that, the news was out. Just like that, it was no big deal any more.  
  
Though Kuroo thought he had been relaxed about this, he could still feel the tension seeping out of his shoulders and he let out a deep breath. He grinned at Akaashi and was about to strike up a conversation with Komi when his phone buzzed. Kuroo checked his message and his lips curled further upwards when he saw your name.  
  
_Are you coming back to our place?_  
  
There was no way he could refuse that offer. After all, it was time to bring in Bokuto and Akaashi on what he’d been up to.  
  
He leaned in close to Akaashi and whispered that he’d be going home with them tonight. Akaashi’s eyes burned when he looked at Kuroo and he nudged Bokuto, murmuring something in his ear. Bokuto perked up and instantly stopped drinking for the rest of the evening. Despite their friends’ protests, they left a little earlier than usual, knowing that you were waiting back at the apartment.  
  
When they came inside, you were curled up on the couch with a book, wearing a robe - and likely little else. Bokuto walked up behind you, bending down to wrap his arms around you and nuzzle your neck, softly pulling at the skin with his teeth. With a soft gasp your threw your head back and put the book away, hands reaching up to tangle in his hair.  
  
Kuroo moved to join them, but Akaashi grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him down for a hard kiss. He let out a soft noise and put his hands on Akaashi’s hips, bringing them closer together. Straight away he noticed the bulge straining against Akaashi’s pants, but then the younger man pushed his tongue inside and Kuroo became thoroughly distracted.  
  
Akaashi’s mouth was hot, searing against his. His tongue probed insistently while his hands cupped Kuroo’s face, nails lightly scratching over the sharp jawline.  
  
Trying to take some control back, Kuroo’s hand edged itself inside Akaashi’s pants, cupping his ass. The other wandered under Akaashi’s sweater, fingers pressing on the small of his back. Moaning into Kuroo’s mouth, Akaashi started to pull up the taller man’s shirt. They broke off the kiss so Akaashi could take off Kuroo’s shirt, then grazed his teeth over a nipple. Kuroo shuddered and part of him was tempted to let this run its course, to be taken away by this dominant side that Akaashi was displaying. However, he gently took hold of Akaashi’s shoulders and created some space between them instead. Raising an eyebrow, Akaashi stared at Kuroo with an intensity that made him shiver.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Akaashi asked, running his hands up Kuroo’s chest.  
  
Kuroo glanced to the side, where he saw you had turned around on the couch, sitting on your knees and pressed up tightly against Bokuto. He was in the process of undoing your robe, mouth pressed to your collarbone. Kuroo could now see you were wearing lacy lingerie underneath. Your eyes were closed, lips slightly parted, while Bokuto explored your body eagerly.  
  
Somehow, you could sense Kuroo’s gaze on you and your eyes fluttered open. You shifted off the couch, breaking Bokuto’s hold on you. “Tetsu has something he wants to share, right?” You took Bokuto’s arm and walked over to the others, then nuzzled against Kuroo's shoulder.  
  
Bokuto blinked as he looked from you to Kuroo, cocking his head to the side. Meanwhile, Akaashi licked his lips and took a step back, giving Kuroo his space.  
  
All the attention was on Kuroo, and though he felt a hint of self-consciousness, he smirked at you and enjoyed this moment of anticipation. Perhaps a little too much. Then he spoke the words he’d been rehearsing out loud, and instantly knew he’d have no regrets.  
  
Akaashi and Bokuto’s eyes widened, but it was the latter who wasted no time to close the distance and smash their mouths together. Kuroo groaned when Bokuto started grinding into him, both becoming noticeable harder with every motion. “That’s so hot,” Bokuto breathed when the kiss ended, but he did not stop moving and started sucking on Kuroo’s neck, just beneath his jawline. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be into bottoming but-” Instead of finishing the sentence, Bokuto just groaned loudly, too excited to waste more energy on words.  
  
“Hey hey,” Kuroo said, unable to stop himself from teasing, “what makes you think it’s you I want?”  
  
Bokuto bucked his hips into Kuroo, earning a loud moan. “That does,” he said, and Kuroo could feel the smirk against his skin.  
  
“Actually, you’re a little larger than I am so maybe I should go first,” Akaashi said, but his teasing smile betrayed that he tried to get a rise out of Bokuto, rather than meaning it seriously. More patient than Bokuto, Akaashi knew he would get his turn soon if it did not happen tonight. And sometimes anticipation was half the fun. Still, his attempt was successful; Bokuto whined and grabbed tightly onto Kuroo’s hips. “Please, Keiji, I want...”  
  
You smiled and kissed Akaashi’s cheek. “Well, Kou was your first too, right? Didn’t he take good care of you?” Your mouth travelled a little lower, nipping at his earlobe.  
  
Sighing, Akaashi quickly pressed his lips on your forehead then turned to Bokuto. “All right, you can go first... if I get to prepare him.”  
  
His eyes almost burned holes into Kuroo.  
  
You walked over to Bokuto and draped your arms around his shoulders. “In the meanwhile I’ll take care of you.”  
  
Those words dropped any objections from Bokuto’s mind. One of your hands trailed down his chest and rubbed over the bulge underneath his jeans. With a growl he grabbed that hand and bit down on a knuckle. “Let’s go then.”  
  
With a giggle you let yourself be dragged to the bedroom. Kuroo was about to follow when Akaashi took hold of his wrist and pulled him close for another kiss. It was slower this time, just a short meeting of lips before Akaashi smiled and broke away. “So she helped you out, hm?”  
  
Akaashi undid the button of Kuroo’s pants and used the extra space to snake a hand inside, fingers resting between Kuroo’s cheeks. Shuddering, Kuroo nodded in confirmation. “She definitely did.” He smirked. “Or are you jealous?”  
  
Tsking, Akaashi started to tug down Kuroo’s zipper. “I actually thought about thanking her instead.” He leaned in close and brushed his lips against Kuroo’s ear. “She talked to you about pre-sex preparations, right?”  
  
Kuroo hummed and nodded again. “Took a _long_ shower before leaving the house tonight.”  
  
Akaashi’s eyes darkened and the fingers on Kuroo’s ass squeezed. “Good. So... did she eat you out, Tetsu? No?” He grinned and bit the shell of Kuroo’s ear. “Do you want me to?”  
  
Kuroo did not get the chance to respond beyond a loud moan before getting interrupted.  
  
“Hey, what’s taking you guys!” Bokuto yelled from the bedroom, impatience palpable from just his voice. For a moment Kuroo considered to tease him, to make Bokuto wait just a little longer, but the heated look in Akaashi’s eyes made Kuroo quite eager to get to the bedroom himself.  
  
When they entered the room, Bokuto sat on the bed, his jeans around his ankles and you tugging on his underwear, your robe already discarded. Kuroo’s eyes flitted to the bed, on which not just a large towel lay ready, but also several condoms and a bottle of lube. Akaashi tipped up your chin to kiss you deeply. “Prepared as always,” he murmured against your lips.  
  
You grinned back at him. “Wanted this to start as quickly as possible.”  
  
“Such an impatient girl,” he chided, then turned back to Kuroo.  
  
In Kuroo’s opinion, there was nothing patient about the way Akaashi looked at him, so those words were a little unfair. However, he was not about to point that out with Akaashi simultaneously pulling down his pants and underwear, leaving Kuroo naked when he stepped out of them.  
  
“Get on the bed,” Akaashi said in a low voice that brokered no protest. “On your hands and knees.”  
  
Feeling a little self-conscious about the exposure, Kuroo positioned himself over the towel. However, Akaashi did not give him long to linger on such feelings. He wasted no time, putting his hands on Kuroo’s ass and spreading the cheeks for just a little easier access.  
  
Kuroo shuddered when he felt Akaashi’s tongue on him, teasing around the tight muscle. He let his head drop, and when he opened his eyes he could see Bokuto’s arched back, hands clutching the sheets. You were blocked from Kuroo’s view, but Bokuto’s body language and the wet noises filling the room left no mystery about what you were doing.  
  
Then Akaashi dragged his tongue over Kuroo’s perineum and his attention was snatched back with a soft moan. Akaashi moved with firm strokes, his fingers softly massaging Kuroo’s ass. Then his mouth covered Kuroo’s tight hole and he sucked hard.  
  
Kuroo grunted and his body trembled. Breathing heavily when he felt a tongue probe at his entrance, he rested his head on his forearms and looked behind him. Though he could barely see Akaashi, Bokuto had leaned back on his elbows and gave Kuroo a perfect view of your lips around his cock, tongue occasionally darting out to curl around the underside of his shaft.  
  
Fingers clenching into the sheets, Kuroo groaned loudly as Akaashi pushed the tip of his tongue inside. His breathing was reduced to a wheezing mess while he tried to relax. Akaashi ran a calming hand up and down his spine, then suddenly his hands and mouth left Kuroo.  
  
Kuroo let out a grated moan of complaint, however, the sound of Akaashi lubing up his fingers shut Kuroo right up. He could instantly tell that Akaashi’s digits were a little thicker than yours. Leaning forward, the younger man murmured soothing words in Kuroo’s ear as he pushed his index finger inside. Thankfully, both your help and his individual preparations had paid off. Kuroo easily accommodated Akaashi and soon a second digit was added. Akaashi’s other hand rubbed circles on the small of Kuroo’s back, his lips kissing each individual bump of the spine as he trailed downward. His fingers slowly worked to stretch Kuroo.  
  
The sound of more lube being applied entered Kuroo’s ears, then a third finger was added. Kuroo bucked his hips and let out a strangled groan. Teeth nipped at his hipbones and his thighs trembled when Akaashi found his prostate. By now a copious amount of pre-cum leaked from Kuroo’s cock, and when he glanced to the side he could see Bokuto staring at it, licking his lips.  
  
Bokuto’s chest rose and fell heavily with your administrations, but you took it slow, aiming only to get him as hard as you could, not let him come. His hands trembled slightly as they threaded through your hair. “Ahh shit, babe, you have to stop now,” he groaned when you took him in as far as you could.  
  
You released him from your mouth straight away and crawled up on his lap instead.  
  
“Amazing,” Bokuto said, his words muffled as he tried to kiss and talk at the same time. “You’re so amazing.” The kiss was wet and sloppy, both participants finding themselves distracted by the sight next to them.  
  
Kuroo’s entire body was trembling from the stimulation. Whenever he least expected it, Akaashi’s fingers changed pattern from scissoring him to firm thrusts to curling against his prostate. He clenched his teeth and hissed at a particularly rough thrust, resisting the urge to wrap his hand around his cock and bringing himself to the edge.  
  
As though his mind was being read, Akaashi choose that moment to rest his cheek on the small of Kuroo’s back and look at you. “Why don’t you help him out?” he said, his voice low and gruff.  
  
Just the anticipation made Kuroo’s back arch. You slid off Bokuto so your hand could easily reach Kuroo’s cock, but Bokuto curled around you from behind instead, hands tugging at your underwear, then slipping inside.  
  
Akaashi reapplied the lube on his fingers, temporarily drawing back, then searched for Kuroo’s prostrate with renewed vigour, brushing insistently against the gland. At the same time, your thumb massaged the underside of his cock while your other hand slowly pumped him. A strangled grunt escaped Kuroo and he bit into the towel. Your head rested close to his and he could hear the increase in your breath as Bokuto worked his fingers against you, small moans mingling with your panting.  
  
With the combined stimulation from you and Akaashi, Kuroo did not last long. Ineligible words slipped from his mouth, misformed combinations of his partners’ names. The breath got knocked out his chest when he finally hit his peak, heat shooting through him. His knees almost gave out as he came on your hand and the towel.  
  
Akaashi’s hands ran up and down his back while Kuroo regained his composure, fists still clenched into the sheets. Next to them, you writhed into Bokuto’s hand, still inside your panties. Kuroo watched you in fascination. He could hear how wet you were from the slick sounds of Bokuto’s fingers moving through your folds. High-pitched moans transformed into soundless gasping when Bokuto seemed to hit a sweet spot. A shudder ran through your body as you tensed up, then relaxed with a loud sigh.  
  
“Ready?” Akaashi asked.  
  
Kuroo didn’t know for sure who he was talking to, but nodded his head anyway. With a wide grin, Bokuto turned on his back again, his hard cock resting on his stomach. Pre-cum leaked from the tip and he reached back to grab a condom.  
  
“How do you want to do this?” Akaashi said, helping Kuroo sit upright on his knees. “Whatever makes it most comfortable for you.”  
  
Images ran through Kuroo’s head. He had talked with you about various positions to try out and what the pros and cons were. Kuroo knew exactly what he wanted, now he just needed to catch his breath so he could verbalise them.  
  
You pushed yourself upright and licked your lips, already aware of his preference.  
  
“Ride him,” Kuroo said, and was surprised at how rough his voice sounded. Bokuto perked up eagerly and pushed himself further onto the bed, cock twitching. He slid the condom on and made a grab for the bottle of lube.  
  
Bokuto made a soft noise of confusion when Kuroo straddled him, ass facing his chest. But he recovered quickly and then Kuroo felt hands on his hips, thumbs massaging his behind. When he looked back, Bokuto was grinning.  
  
“Nice view,” he said, breathing hard.  
  
“I thought you might like it,” Kuroo teased, pushing his ass back to rub against Bokuto’s erection.  
  
Akaashi had removed his clothes and sat behind you, circling his arms around you and chin resting on your shoulder. Both of you had your eyes fixed on the other two men.  
  
Leaving all control to Kuroo, Bokuto did nothing except guide him to his cock. When Kuroo felt the head at his entrance, he involuntarily tensed up. _Dammit_ , that was big. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, then sank down.  
  
Bokuto hissed and clenched his fingers around Kuroo’s hips.  
  
Drawing a shuddering breath, Kuroo tried not to think about the fact that only the tip of Bokuto’s cock was inside so far. He groaned as his muscles slowly relaxed and adjusted, then pushed further down.  
  
“T- Tetsu.” His voice was almost a whimper. “Fuck, you’re so tight.” More curses spilled from his lips when Kuroo started rocking his hips. He opened his eyes and stared at you and Akaashi.  
  
You had reached behind you to pump Akaashi’s cock while he had taken off your bra and now massaged your bare breasts. “What do you want,” Akaashi murmured in your ear, almost too soft to hear over the noise of Kuroo’s grunts.  
  
Bokuto’s fingers dug into his hips with painful pressure, all his self-control needed to stay still and not thrust upwards.  
  
Nipping at your neck, Akaashi awaited your answer. Though his face was relatively calm, his heavy breathing betrayed the effect your actions had on him.  
  
“Both,” you breathed, rolling your head back on Akaashi’s shoulder and gripping him a little firmer. “You and Tetsu, please.”  
  
Slowly a smirk grew on Akaashi’s face. “How greedy. Think you can handle both of us in your tight wet hole?”  
  
Moaning loudly, you trembled in his arms. “I can, Keiji, I can take it.”  
  
Akaashi locked eyes with Kuroo. “Are you up for it?”  
  
He took a moment to respond, completely taken in by the sensation of being filled by Bokuto. He moved his hips at a languid pace, slowly becoming more accommodating to Bokuto’s length. “Yes,” he groaned. His own cock stood fully erect again and twitched at the prospect of fucking you.  
  
“Kou, you can move,” Kuroo said, looking over his shoulder. “Just... take it slow for now.”  
  
Bokuto licked his lips and grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave,” he said, but his voice was strained, breath laboured. With a groan he started rolling his hips, taking a languid pace as promised. The strength in his fingers did not dissipate, and Kuroo was sure he’d have bruises there tomorrow.  
  
_Totally worth it._  
  
Akaashi helped you out of your panties and then you crawled over to them and sat over Bokuto’s legs. You covered Kuroo’s chest with kisses and pressed your stomach against his cock.  
  
“H- how do we do this?” Kuroo asked in a shaky voice, referring to the misalignment of your hips compared to his as he rode Bokuto.  
  
Having realised the same problem, you chuckled. “Maybe some lifting has to be done?” Your chuckle turned into a whine when you realised Akaashi had stood up and walked to the bathroom. “Keiji...”  
  
“Patience, (Name), I’ll be right back.”  
  
Kuroo could hear the sound of water running and then Akaashi was back, some drops still glistening on his hands. He pressed against you and reached in front to run a finger through your folds, arm brushing against Kuroo’s cock.  
  
“There,” he murmured in your ear. “Tetsu first.” Akaashi ripped open one of the two condoms he had grabbed and reached around you to slip it over Kuroo’s length with a firm grip, making the other man groan. Akaashi and Kuroo both took hold of your hips, lifting you up between them and onto Kuroo's lap. Bokuto was still moving, adjusting his hips to try and find that right angle.  
  
Bokuto found it just as you were lowered over Kuroo’s cock. Kuroo gasped and bit down on your neck, one hand squeezing your ass and the other on the small of your back. His head spun; Bokuto pushing against his prostate, your walls clenching around him. Every ounce of self-control in his body was needed to stop him from coming instantly.  
  
Your hands clutched onto his shoulders, body trembling. Kuroo smirked when he realised this position left you with almost control over your movements, but a rough thrust from Bokuto wiped the grin off his face and he moaned loudly.  
  
“S- sorry, I just, _fuck_ , you’re so tight,” Bokuto stammered, words coming out breathlessly.  
  
Kuroo shook his head. “I can take it, it’s okay. Just wait a little longer,” he said, surprised at how grated his own voice was. “Wait until Keiji is ready, too.” Together. This needed to happen together. Somehow that was the most important thing; an urge inside Kuroo to connect deeper with his new-found partners at every opportunity.  
  
Eyes closed shut, Bokuto nodded jerkily.  
  
Akaashi grabbed the bottle of lube and put a generous amount on his fingers. He curled his finger and slowly eased it in besides Kuroo’s length. Both you and Kuroo moaned, and he tipped your head up for a kiss. He pushed his tongue inside and tried to distract himself from the feeling of Akaashi’s finger moving against his cock, of Bokuto temporarily leaving him to reapply extra lube, then easing back inside. You sucked on the tip of his tongue and nipped at his bottom lip, fingers still digging into his shoulders. You partly sat in Kuroo’s lap, partly suspended between him and Akaashi, with only the barest ability of leveraging yourself.  
  
Two of Akaashi’s fingers had slipped inside by now, and not before long he added a third. You let out a garbled moan into Kuroo’s mouth and he knew for sure your nails would leave marks on his skin. Behind him, Bokuto also panted heavily, restraining himself from moving too much. He couldn’t stop it entirely, though, his hips lightly rocking upwards.  
  
Akaashi removed his digits and you sighed at the sudden relief. Then he put a condom, slicked it up with some extra lube and pushed at your entrance.  
  
You gasped against Kuroo’s lips, arching your back. Trembling in his arms, you broke the kiss and teeth dug into his collarbone instead. The pain of your bite only added more sensations to Kuroo’s almost overloaded brain. He held his arms tighter around you, one curling around your hips while the other rested parallel to your spine, hand holding the base of your head and tangling in your hair.  
  
After giving both of you a moment to get used to the feeling and adjust, Akaashi pushed in further. Your outcry was muffled against Kuroo’s skin, but his groan escaped freely. He tightened around Bokuto, who couldn’t stop himself any more from rocking in swallow but insistent thrusts. Kuroo was glad for it; with enough stretch to turn Bokuto's actions into a pleasurable burn, it provided a good distraction from the added feeling of Akaashi's cock rubbing against his inside you.  
  
One of Akaashi’s hands was on your hips, the other on your breast, teasing a nipple. He leaned down to graze his teeth against Kuroo’s hand, then sucked on a knuckle.  
  
“Koutarou...” Akaashi’s voice was ragged, his eyes shut tightly. It dawned on Kuroo that as much as he felt Akaashi’s cock move against his, as tight as you felt around him now; the same was true for Akaashi. “We’re ready.”  
  
“Finally,” Bokuto gasped and thrust his hips upwards into Kuroo.  
  
Kuroo groaned when the movement not only pushed Bokuto deeper inside him, but also made him thrust forward into you. The twin sensations of filling and being filled drove him mad, his mind a daze. Akaashi grit his teeth and rocked his hips forward in time with Bokuto, somehow managing to sync up their paces perfectly.  
  
Even more at the mercy of your partners than Kuroo, you clung onto him with shaking fingers. You whimpered at every thrust, biting at Kuroo’s neck. Akaashi pressed an open-mouthed kiss on your cheek, then used the hand previously on your breast to tip your head back and nip at your lips.  
  
“Ngh, you feel s- so good,” Bokuto ground out, his hips lifting off the bed at a frantic pace. “I don’t know how much longer I can-” He cut off his own words with a strangled outcry of Kuroo’s name.  
  
Kuroo looked over his shoulder and felt his breath hitch in his throat. Bokuto’s head rested on the bed with his eyes closed, hair fanned around him. Though it had been immaculately styled when they started, the movement and sweat had ruined all of that and it was a complete mess now. He looked gorgeous. His teeth pulled on his bottom lip, hard enough to look painful. Then his eyes opened and caught Kuroo’s; his golden stare trapping Kuroo in place, almost feral. As though he was trying to devour Kuroo with just a look, and he damn near succeeded.  
  
Then he angled his hips just a little differently and hit Kuroo’s prostate again.  
  
Kuroo’s breath choked and he let his head fall backwards. Meanwhile, Akaashi did not let up on his pace either, matching Bokuto thrust for thrust. Their cocks slid against each other and suddenly all the stimulation was too much and Kuroo let it all go.  
  
His eyes shut tightly and he almost dropped you when his orgasm hit you, hips bucking erratically. Curses and multiple names mingled as he cried out, tightening around Bokuto.  
  
You moaned loudly at the sudden change of pace and shuddered, mouth falling open. Your entire body tensed up at your orgasm, then you went limp in Kuroo’s arms, whimpering as they rode you through your high. Your walls continuously twitched around Kuroo, milking him for all he had. With the way Kuroo tightened around him, Bokuto only lasted a couple more thrusts before he grunted and came hard. His nails dug into Kuroo’s hips and he pushed his face into the sheets, biting down into it.  
  
Kuroo shuddered as Bokuto pulled out, leaving him feeling so empty. He kept a tight hold on your hips as Akaashi worked himself to his peak, pace becoming increasingly irregular. Breaths reduced to throaty grunts, he sucked hard on your neck, sure to leave colourful marks for tomorrow. A final few stuttering thrusts of his hips and Akaashi gasped your name, stilling inside you.  
  
Your breath fell hard against Kuroo’s shoulders, and then his chest when he gently set you back down on your knees. Akaashi slowly pulled out and helped you lay down on your side, pressing soft kisses all over your body. He still panted, but slowly regained himself.  
  
Bokuto reached forward to brush his lips against Kuroo’s back, sucking and tonguing at the skin, slightly salty from perspiration. Kuroo groaned and somehow managed to turn around, then let himself fall into the crook of Bokuto’s broad shoulders. With a soft whine you repositioned yourself so you were snuggled up against Bokuto’s other side. A satisfied smile on his face, Akaashi looked down on the three of you. You reached out a hand to him and he took it, softly kissing every individual knuckle. Then he laid down behind you and put his arm over your waist, fingers extended to brush against Bokuto’s hipbone.  
  
Bokuto’s fingers idly played with Kuroo and Akaashi’s hair while he pressed his lips against your forehead. Kuroo could feel himself drift off, a daze settling over his mind. However, a chuckle from Akaashi caught his attention.  
  
Kuroo lifted his head and saw you scowl at something behind you. Your hand reached between you and Akaashi and lifted up the forgotten towel.  
  
“So fussy,” Akaashi murmured, brushing aside your hair to kiss the back of your neck. “Don’t worry, we’ll clean up.” He made eye-contact with Bokuto as he spoke, so there could be no mistake over who he meant by ‘we’.  
  
Bokuto groaned loudly. “In a little bit, okay?”  
  
“Fair warning, I'll probably have fallen asleep in a little bit,” Kuroo said, and immediately was struck with the unstoppable urge to yawn.  
  
“Fine, fine,” Bokuto whined. “But you two rest up, okay? You need anything?”  
  
“Some water please.” “Glass of water.” You and Kuroo spoke at the same time, then laughed softly, the post-sex ambiance leaving both giddy.  
  
Bokuto wiggled out from between you and helped Akaashi on his feet as well. They took a moment for a slow kiss, hands gently tracing each others’ bodies. You wiggled closer to Kuroo and smiled at the sight, but sighed happily when Kuroo pressed a kiss of his own to your lips and brushed his fingers over your stomach and sides.  
  
One by one the condoms were discarded in the bin, then Bokuto got his boxers while Akaashi put on your robe to keep himself from cooling down too much. Bokuto went into the kitchen to get water and though it took a little manoeuvring, but somehow Akaashi managed to get the sheets out from underneath you and Kuroo. He handed you your hoodie and got a spare blanket to keep the pair of you warm. Then he left the bedroom to get the dirty towel and sheets to the washing machine.  
  
Snuggling deep under the blanket, you entwined your arms and legs with Kuroo to cuddle close. He held your hand and rubbed small circles in your palm with his thumb.  
  
Bokuto returned, walking slowly with three small glasses of water trapped between his hands. Before any accidents could happen, you reached over and took two of them. Carefully, Bokuto shifted onto the bed and managed to get under the blanket without spilling anything. The three of you sat upright against the headboard, you sandwiched between the guys.  
  
Threatening to nod off already, you leaned your head against Kuroo’s shoulder. You blinked and took a large gulp of water, forcing yourself to stay awake. A moment of silence before you turned to Kuroo. “Need anything else?” you asked him between the soft kisses you pressed on his skin. “A massage maybe? You’ll definitely be sore tomorrow.”  
  
“What, are you offering outside of work hours? Aren’t I a lucky guy,” Kuroo teased.  
  
You grinned and softly bopped his nose with a single finger. “I can think of many ways for you to make it up to me, don’t worry.”  
  
Akaashi walked back into the bedroom, carrying a small cup of tea. Kuroo held it for him while he joined the others on the bed, then handed it back. “Careful, she’ll have you cater to her every whim for weeks,” Akaashi said, expression completely neutral save for the mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
You shrugged and leaned back into Bokuto instead. He happily put an arm around your waist and nuzzled into your neck. “Your loss, Keiji,” you huffed, pointedly looking away, but your mock-indignation fooled no one.  
  
Chuckling, Kuroo brushed some stray hairs out of your face. He reached behind Akaashi to put his empty glass on the nightstand, then pulled the younger man closer to him in one smooth motion. Kuroo manoeuvred you between his legs, tucking your head underneath his chin, then put his other arm around Bokuto.  
  
All three of his partners close to him, Kuroo looked around him with a huge grin. “I still can’t believe I got this lucky.”  
  
Bokuto rubbed his nose against Kuroo’s shoulder. “We all got lucky,” he said, his lips brushing over skin.  
  
“Definitely,” Akaashi agreed, and kissed Kuroo just underneath his ear.  
  
You strained your neck to look up at him and smiled. “So incredibly lucky.” There it was again; the softness that usually stayed hidden underneath that blunt layer of your personality. Kuroo felt his chest warm up at your unguarded expression, at the feeling of his partners pressed close against him.  
  
Like that they fell asleep; a tangled mess of limbs. Kuroo was the last to doze off, surrounded by soft sounds of steady breathing around him. Closing his eyes, he smiled and felt more peaceful than he had in ages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, thanks again to everyone I cry <3 my tumblr is [here](http://barknobite.tumblr.com) if you ever feel like visiting or talking to me!


End file.
